Midnight's Call
by hpnutter
Summary: Just when he thought his life couldn't get more complicated after awakening the shifter gene, Embry imprints on a black wolf who was unlucky enough to attract the attention of Victoria. Embry/Harry.
1. Prologue – Aftermath

Prologue – Aftermath

"_The darkest night is often the bridge to the brightest tomorrow.__"_

/Embry/\Harry\

Harry had never felt more trapped in his life. Though ever since a young age he was locked in his cupboard or his room, it all seemed like nothing compared to being trapped within his memories. Every time he closed his eyes, Harry was plagued with everything he'd had to do to ensure that he would win the war. The quest for the Horcruxes, being on the run, seeing many loved ones fall victim to that terrible green light at the Battle of Hogwarts, _everything_. It all flashed so vividly, and he flinched at some of the more gruesome things he'd experienced.

His heart clenched as the image of several loved ones came up, their bright eyes so dull and lifeless as they laid on the floor next to other fallen victims of the war. Heartache turned to anger, as it often did; anger at Snape, for having been on the Light side the entire time; anger at Dumbledore, for keeping him in the dark for so damn long; anger at Remus, for getting himself killed when he'd just had a baby boy, Teddy, nearly two months prior; and anger at Voldemort for having continued this pointless war over something as foolish as blood purity.

Most of the anger Harry felt, however, was directed at himself. Things he could have done differently along with predicted outcomes flashed in his mind like a silent, black-and-white film. If only he'd had all of the information from the beginning, so many things wouldn't have happened. Sirius never would have died that night in the Department of Mysteries, Cedric would probably still be alive, he could've discovered a way to stop Dumbledore from dying.

None of that mattered, though. When it all boiled down, one fact remained: the war was over, and he couldn't do anything to change the past.

Knocking at his door brought Harry out of his thoughts. Not many people knew where he'd chosen to hide himself. With the Dursleys out of his life, he didn't have to ever return to Number 4 Privet Drive, not that he'd wanted to. Instead, after he woke from a week long coma due to magical exhaustion, Harry had marched to Gringotts, claimed his inheritance, and fled to one of the remote cottages his parents had owned. He, of course, had to leave his address to somebody, and those that had it had agreed to give him time to mourn those he lost. A month had passed and, though the pain hadn't lessened in intensity, it was becoming much easier to deal with. Still, he just wasn't quite ready to face the world and the aftermath of the war's outcome.

Harry glanced at the peephole before opening the door. He gave the older woman a small smile. "Hello, Andromeda," he murmured softly.

Andromeda Tonks née Black returned the smile, but he noticed it didn't reach her eyes. "Hello, Harry," she replied just as quietly. "May I come in? It is urgent that I speak with you."

He'd opened the door and stepped aside before she even finished talking. "Of course you can."

Harry led her to his modest living room before disappearing into the kitchen to make tea. Nervousness crept into his stomach and he hesitantly brushed it away. His hands make quick work of locating his teapot and he absentmindedly reached above to grab the tea bags from the cabinet. He didn't really want to ponder over what Andromeda had to say and work himself up into a state. Rather, he'd let her say her piece and then react when he crossed said bridge.

Placing biscuits he'd made yesterday on a tray, Harry loaded the finished tea and made his way into his living room. It was decorated much like Privet Drive had been, and it pained Harry in a rather amusing way to see that his mother and aunt had shared similar decorating tastes. He didn't have the heart to change the awkwardly placed wallpaper and odd furniture. Funny, how his aunt, who had always tried so hard to be normal and different from her sister, was more alike Lily than maybe even she'd known…

"What is it that you need to speak with me about?" Harry asked, quick and to the point. He handed her a funky orange teacup.

She accepted it almost solemnly, gazing into her tea sadly before taking a sip. "I thought I could do it," she whispered, her voice cracking ever so slightly. "I really thought I could, and Merlin knows I want to, but it's so hard, Harry…"

Harry stared at her, alarmed. "What're you talking about?" he asked softly.

Andromeda looked up, tears running down her face. "He has an odd mix of Remus and Nymphadora's talents," she told him. "I can't—there isn't a day that goes by where I look at him changing his hair color and think about how Nymphadora used to do that, or how my daughter should be the one seeing such an occurrence. Teddy's so like you, Harry."

He involuntarily winced at that. She hadn't meant anything by it, just comparing godfather and godson, but the reminder that Teddy was an orphan like him still stung. "What do you plan on doing?" he asked, feeling like a frog had made its home in his throat.

Andromeda wiped away her tears as gracefully as she could. "I need you to take him, Harry," she said softly. "I can feel my magic, my _soul_, getting weaker each day. As much as I love my grandson, it is becoming a chore to continue on. I don't know how much more I can take."

They were silent for a while as Andromeda finished her tea with shaking hands. Harry let his go cold, much like he was feeling on the inside. Teddy would have no one left after Andromeda's magic drained from her being—nobody but Harry. It wasn't much, in Harry's opinion, but having his godfather take care of Teddy had to be better than his next closest kin—the Malfoys.

"Where is he?" Harry asked, nibbling on the edge of one of the biscuits.

Andromeda looked into his eyes, and Harry noticed how sunken hers were becoming. "He is with the Weasleys now," she murmured softly.

Harry nodded. "I'll go get him, then," he said quietly.

He didn't know what the hell he was doing, or how to take care of and raise a child, but if he could defeat Voldemort, surely he could take custody of his godson. His heart pounded furiously, but Harry kept his shoulders squared and chin up. He imagined Sirius, if he'd been able to, would have done the same thing in his shoes, and that thought alone gave him a little more confidence.

He accepted the custody papers Andromeda passed him and read over. His heart ached at the sight of Andromeda's signature, waiving her rights as Teddy's guardian and handing them over to Harry. Knowing that this would be the best course of action and actually following through with it still hurt even though Teddy would benefit from the change in guardianship.

"Thank you," Andromeda said simply.

Harry nodded his head. "Will you like to say goodbye?"

Andromeda bit her lip before she shook her head. "I've already said my goodbyes. I'd just like to join my family now."

Harry nodded again, understanding though he still couldn't stop the pain in his heart. He sat there, frozen, as she stood, kissed his forehead one last time, and left the cottage. He didn't know how long he let the numbness consume him, but eventually he remembered that he was now the guardian to an infant and stumbled out the door, his hair covering his stupid scar and facing the ground. He walked quickly into the small Muggle town, thankful for the night shadowing his appearance.

Wand poised in the air, Harry summoned the Knight Bus, asked to be taken to the Burrow, and didn't bother making small conversation with the shrunken head or a recently freed Stan Shunpike (who had taken it upon himself to gush about Harry Potter saving him from Azkaban, ignorant that his hero was sitting in front of him). He took the relatively short ride to St. Ottery Catchpole in a contemplative silence. If he were to raise Teddy correctly, he needed to think things thoroughly.

His first thought was living arrangements. As much as he adored his parents' cozy yet tackily decorated cottage, it wouldn't do to raise a child. Probably when Teddy was still small, but what about when the boy grew up? The tiny, one-bedroom abode wouldn't quite do. Besides, Harry was a celebrity. His name was widely known and, now that he was the Savior and not just the Chosen One, such titles made him widely sought-after. How many people would stalk him when they found out he was raising his godson? How many enemies would try to use Teddy to get to him? How could he protect the tiny life Remus, Tonks, and Andromeda had entrusted to him?

Harry already knew the answer; he had to leave Britain.

If he were honest with himself, Harry had already been thinking about leaving the damned country for quite some time. Originally, he'd wanted to travel the world. His plans had been simple. Travel to new countries, absorb the culture and possibly the language, live the rest of his days in peace. He wouldn't be able to travel until Teddy was older, but that was okay. Teddy was more important.

"The Burrow, St. Ottery Catchpole," Stan announced dully.

Harry nodded his thanks and left, taking the short walk to the Weasley residence. Before the war, he'd loved visiting the Burrow and just enjoying his summers lazily playing Quidditch in the backyard. Now, though, with the loss of Fred, the Burrow had—and rightfully so—taken a rather somber attitude. They were mourning, and Harry didn't fault them. Fred was amazing and dearly missed. He couldn't imagine what it must be like for George. The two had been together since inside the womb, had done everything together.

How does one _really_ go on living when half of yourself is dead?

"Harry?"

Harry paused and turned. Ginny smiled and waved him over, patting the spot next to her on the bench. Mr. Weasley had liked the way Muggles decorated their houses and decided to refurbish everything himself. He'd installed a bird bath in the front of the Burrow, a pond in the back just by the garden, and benches along the sides of the house. Several tacky lawn ornaments also found its way in the front of the Burrow, and Harry always smiled amusedly at the pink flamingos and short dwarves. It was especially amusing when the garden gnomes declared war over the inanimate objects and tried to use guerilla tactics to take out their fake enemies.

"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked Ginny, graciously sitting down.

Ginny smiled and looked at the sky. "Thinking," she said softly.

Harry followed her gaze, awed at the stars twinkling above them. "I have custody of Teddy now," he murmured.

Ginny's warm eyes glanced at him. "At least he has you," she said simply.

He appreciated her lack of comments. "I can't raise him in Britain."

Ginny laughed softly. It held a swirl of emotions; sadness, acceptance, appreciation, and love. "I figured it out when Andromeda dropped him off earlier," she said, still staring at the stars. "I knew it was coming; she practically lost everybody in the war. Her husband, her daughter, her son-in-law, her sisters. I could see what her magic was doing to her; it was only a matter of time before she went to you. I knew you'd take Teddy."

Harry nodded his head, though she couldn't see it. He hesitantly took a hold of her hand and curled his larger one around it. She squeezed it gently, accepting the gesture. "You always were a smart girl," he said quietly.

Ginny nodded her head. She finally ripped her gaze from the ethereal sky and looked at him. Tears welled in her eyes and trailed down her cheeks. "You've changed," she whispered. He jerked, but she used her other hand to grab his chin and make him face her. "Not in a bad way, Harry. Rather, you've changed, and so have your needs. I can't give you what you need anymore, and I can accept that Harry."

Harry didn't quite know what to say. "I'm sorry," he apologized. He didn't like it when she cried, and gently wiped away a stray tear.

Ginny smiled. "You need someone stronger," she said softly. "Someone strong enough to handle this new war-hero-you and love Teddy. I understand. I wish you good luck, and I hope you can be happy."

Relief flooded him, and he felt his heart grow a little warmer at her words. That was why it'd been so easy to fall for her. She was understanding and compassionate and he wasn't the one to make her feel like the special woman she was. Harry leaned forward, pressing a small kiss on the corner of her mouth. "You'll find someone," he said with a small smile. "And I'll always be here for you."

Ginny laughed, wiping away the rest of her tears. "Come on," she said brightly, no evidence of her tearful epiphany. "You need to get Teddy."

They stood and walked inside the Burrow. Noise erupted around them. "Harry! It's so good to see you, mate!" Ron said as he thumped his hand on Harry's back hard.

Harry gave him a small smile. "Good to see you too," he said quietly though no less enthusiastic. It really was good to see his friends. Even though the time alone was much needed and appreciated, he did somewhat miss human contact.

Mrs. Weasley smiled at him, her eyes crinkled and the aging lines on her face more prominent. "Harry, good to see you," she said, patting his face as she kissed his cheek. Her expression became more serious. "Teddy's here."

Harry nodded his head somewhat sharply. "I know. Andromeda's already told me, and I've already got the paperwork done."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I knew you would," she replied. "Honorable man, that you are."

A few years ago, he would've ducked his head and flushed at her words. Now he nodded and looked around the room for his orphaned godson. "Where is Teddy?" he asked when he couldn't see him.

Mrs. Weasley motioned towards the stairs. "In George's room asleep," she answered quietly. "Are you leaving?"

There was no point in denying it. "Yes," he said, nodding his head.

Mrs. Weasley's smile turned somewhat sad. "You know you'll always have a place here with us."

"I know," Harry said warmly. "But I can't raise Teddy in Britain where everyone and their mother will be watching my every move."

Mrs. Weasley laughed. "Yes, I know that." She walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed a slip of paper. "Hermione was here earlier when Andromeda delivered Teddy. She's already researched a list of places you might be interested in."

Harry accepted the paper thankfully, happy that he had such great friends and sad that he would be leaving behind said important people. "I'm sure I'll need advice about Teddy," he said conversationally. "Will you keep the Floo open?"

Mrs. Weasley lightly smacked his arm. "As if you need to ask," she admonished. She became a little serious once more. "We've noticed some things about Teddy while he was here."

Worry consumed him briefly. "Is he alright? Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Mrs. Weasley waved away his frantic questions dismissively. "He's fine," she was quick to assure. "It isn't necessarily _bad_, but we did discover some things that you need to be privy to."

"What?" Harry asked curiously.

"Well, it seems like Teddy inherited some of his father's…wolfish traits," Mrs. Weasley said delicately after a moment's hesitation. "Hermione and Poppy seem to think he'll have the ability to shift into a wolf at will in a few years time."

Harry blinked before he snorted in amusement. "If he can deal with his godfather being a magnet to all sorts of trouble, I can most definitely deal with my godson being a sort of natural animagus."

Ron laughed quietly at his words, though the laughter was somewhat strained. "When are you leaving?"

"As soon as possible," Harry replied.

Ron nodded, expecting the answer but still somewhat put down by it. It was like losing a brother all over again. "Hermione and I will expect a call on that Muggle contraption every week," he said somewhat sharply.

Harry grinned. "I know," he replied. The trapped feeling that had been suffocating him for the past two months eased. Harry found himself a step closer on the path to moving on after the war. Perhaps Teddy would be as good for him as he is for the tiny baby.

"I was wondering when you'd show up, mate."

Harry nodded his head in greeting to George who had a sleeping Teddy in his arms. "How long has he been sleeping?"

"Since he was dropped off a few hours ago," George responded, cradling the infant close to his chest. He caught sight of the papers in Harry's hand and grinned. "Your fans will not be pleased," he sing-songed.

Harry snorted. "That's why I'm leaving. Stalkers, the lot of them."

"Have you chosen a place yet?" George asked curiously.

Harry glanced at the photos and information bits on the paper. Hermione certainly had been very thorough. He flipped through them, reading before dismissing some of the places. They just didn't _feel_ right. Harry couldn't quite explain it, but he knew when he saw the place, it was going to be home.

He paused at the picture of a beautiful, plush forest. There was a roomy-looking cottage hidden in the protection of nature. If Teddy really would have the ability to transform into a wolf at will, he would certainly need a place to run. He flipped through more pictures, his satisfactory smile widening. This place would be perfect. He caught sight of a beach and, for a moment, Harry could've swarm gold flickered into his vision followed by a sleek grey wolf with black spots. Blinking and shaking his head, Harry looked back at the Weasleys. The present red-heads looked at him expectantly.

"Forks," he said softly. "We'll be moving to Forks, Washington."

George nodded solemnly. "Looks nice," he commented as he glanced at the picture of the beach at La Push.

Harry opened his mouth to reply when a tiny groan captured his attention. He hesitated for a moment before he grabbed an awakening Teddy. The infant yawned widely, making Harry smile. The yawn was quickly followed by a piercing wail. Mrs. Weasley immediately bustled towards the kitchen to fetch a bottle for the child, and Harry was given a crash course on taking care of small children.

He spent the remainder of the evening learning about how to take care of Teddy and spending time with the people he'd grown to consider family. Mr. Weasley came home from work shortly after Hermione returned from visiting her parents who, though they remembered her, had decided to stay in Australia. They all knew he was leaving and, though it wasn't quite goodbye, a considerable amount of time would pass before they would see him again.

When Harry finally left with promises of keeping in contact, he smiled at the content child in his arms. He would make sure Teddy had the life he'd never had the privilege of having.

Feeling lighter, Harry returned to his cottage to pack the remainder of his belongings. The next day, he began the process of privately purchasing the cottage and securing paperwork that made him a legal American citizen (_Thanks Hermione_, he thought).

He was out of the country within a week, more than ready to start a new life with his godson safe with him.

A/N: Well, I haven't found any other Embry/Harry stories out there so I decided to write my own! (If you find any, please show me! I'm _**dying**_ to read this pairing.) This will be somewhat short, and I feel like warning you of some things before you continue. This story will take place around Feb. 2006 and will contain underage sex (age of consent in Washington is 16/18, and Embry will have turned 17), some romance, and will be AU for HP and mostly canon for New Moon. _**The next chapter will skip about eight years**_. As usual, any lemons I decide to write (not sure about this one) will be on adult content-friendly websites.

So, yeah, let me know what you think! =) Any feedback is awesome. Oh, and feel free to check out the wicked banner I made. =D


	2. Chapter 1 – Eight Years Later

Chapter 1 – Eight Years Later

"_In youth we learn; in age we understand."_

/Embry/\Harry\

_**THE S.P.M.C.W.'S EQUALITY ACT OF 2006 PASSES IN A LANDSLIDE**_

_Written by: Thelma Jones_

_Sunday, February 12, 2006_

_The S.P.M.C.W., or the Society for the Promotion of Magical Creature Welfare, founded by Hermione Weasley, has earned yet another victory. Over the past few months following their latest bold proposal, the Wizengamot has been deliberating over the Equality Act of 2006 very carefully and has finally reached a decision._

"_It is this judicial body's duty to ensure that our fellow citizens are protected, even from our own laws, despite any differences," Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt declared at the press conference just after the ruling. "Magical creatures should have never been subjected to the grossly demeaning and discriminatory laws passed by former authority figures. Regardless of their non-human status, they are citizens of Wizarding Britain and have the same rights as any other witch or wizard in this country."_

_Winning with an outstanding thirty-nine out of fifty votes, the Equality Act of 2006 has been passed and will come into effect immediately. The S.P.M.C.W. feels very accomplished over this latest win. "This should have been done ages ago," Hermione Weasley, founder of the organization and current Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, stated. "The purpose of the previously harsh laws concerning magical creatures was based on nothing more than old prejudiced views that have been long outdated. It has been proven that recently considered dark creatures are not so different than your average witch or wizard when it comes to basic instincts and values. They are unable to live peaceful lives because of our ignorant beliefs, and that needs to be stopped."_

_Former Minister Fudge, 1990-1996, had won much support from the Wizarding public with his harsh laws against many "dark" creatures such as vampires and werewolves in his first year in office. Notorious creatures such as Fenrir Greyback and Lady Carmilla Sanguina had further unintentionally aided Fudge in his declaration that all magical creatures were blood thirsty savages with the desire to prey on the youth. Many previous ministers have also taken this stance and have for the past seventy-seven years._

_Weasley retaliates, "You cannot punish an entire group of people for the shortcomings of one. If that were true, why haven't wizards been severely punished for Lords Grindelwald and Voldemort?"_

_Current Chief Witch of the Wizengamot, Augusta Longbottom, supports the Equality Act of 2006. "This will improve the affairs between magical creatures and wizardkind," states Longbottom._

_Ronald Weasley, Head of the Auror Office, agreed, "With the improvement of the interactions between wizards and those with non-human blood, we expect the crime rates concerning the supposed "Dark" creatures will steadily decline. Research over the last nine years has proven that because of the laws limiting their freedom and rights, magical creatures had retaliated out of desperation and protection seven times out of ten. Like Harry Potter said before, most of the magical creatures that fought on You-Know-Who's side did so because they had nothing else to lose. You-Know-Who, the worst Dark Lord of all time, had promised them freedom of prejudices and fear. He promised them the right to live their lives; a right wizards never had the power or authority to take away."_

_For more information on the Equality Act of 2006, see page 4._

_For more information on the S.P.M.C.W., see page 5._

_For the opposition's rebuttal, see page 6._

Harry smiled fondly and put down the _Daily Prophet_ feeling particularly pleased. He remembered Hermione blabbering on and on about developing S.P.E.W. as if it was only yesterday, and was happy with her latest victory. Eleven years of advocating for the better treatment of those with non-human heritage had finally paid off.

Hermione had opened her eyes wide enough to realize that the House Elves actually enjoyed the servitude they were born into. They weren't all mistreated and needed the magic only a wizarding family could provide. She hadn't realized before that her actions, which she'd considered just and right, were taken as her insulting the entire race of House Elves. Other magical creatures, however, hadn't enjoyed their rights being stripped away. This led to the birth of the revised organization with Harry being somewhat of a silent partner, offering some funding and advice on ways to go about proposing certain laws since Hermione had a tendency to forcefully shove facts down people's throats.

Harry took a sip of his tea. Everything had changed so much over the last eight years. Wizarding Britain had become a much better place, and Harry was slightly surprised to admit to himself that he missed it. When he left, it was still a mockery of a community. They'd allowed the libel and slander of a minor, passed ridiculous laws, and had a grossly incompetent judicial system. It was flawed, severely, and they hadn't seemed to have a problem with it.

The war, however, seemed to have a great influence on the Hogwarts graduating class of '98. Hermione had thrust herself into the world of politics and fought tooth and nail to improve the world she fell in love with at the tender age of eleven, consequently dragging a bemused and befuddled Ron Weasley with her. Climbing the political ladder had been particularly grueling given her Muggleborn status and the prejudice still infecting the system, but with Shacklebolt as Minister of Magic and Harry giving her permission (in writing with a bit of his magical signature for verification) to take his seats in the Wizengamot, she'd been able to make a difference. The (_Potter_) voting power she had allowed her to show the world her amazing research skills and gave her the authority to propose new laws, which she'd done in the name of the S.P.M.C.W.

The entire Ministry had undergone a massive clean-up and became a respected body of power. Granted, it took them a long time to get there, but it was better late than never. Harry snorted. He'd partly been the reason the Ministry had changed. Despite being fully aware of how the Wizarding world would react when he left Britain, he hadn't exactly anticipated how _strongly_ their protests would be.

Two weeks after he began settling into his life with his godson, he received a copy of the corrupt and sycophantic _Daily Prophet_. His move was not taken well at all (which was a massive understatement) and the writers felt they were justly angry and furious at the abandonment of their savior. Luckily Minister Shacklebolt had had the foresight to hide the custody papers concerning Teddy or the public outrage would have been worse. Harry didn't mind taking the brunt of ignorant anger as long as Teddy's safety wasn't compromised.

Of course, it had still irked him that the public actually believed that he belonged to them. It was like they staked a claim on him; like he was a possession. Harry set them straight _very_ quickly. He had Hermione research privacy laws and in no less than two weeks, Harry was suing the _Daily Prophet_ for all of the slander and libel he'd been subjected to. His sharp, scathing letter to the Wizarding public would have made Snape proud.

Harry smirked. They hadn't been able to pay him enough to repair the years of abuse he'd endured, so they settled. He now owned the _Daily Prophet_ and a large amount of gold, enabling him to live comfortably for several decades as well as spoil Teddy with toys he'd never been able to receive as a child. With that ownership came freedom from the lies that stirred the public into a rage, and it allowed him some room to breathe. His letter had also nudged Minister Shacklebolt to begin cleaning up the entire pathetic system and the public, thoroughly cowed, didn't protest too much.

Harry finished his tea and stood gracefully. He stretched and looked out the window, checking on Teddy who was happily playing in the snow in front of their cottage. He smiled softly. Taking care of his godson had been difficult at first. Teddy for the first six months or so suffered from colic and Harry, though he was used to not sleeping very well or long at night, was not used to a tiny baby screaming his lungs out in pain. The first time it happened, he immediately Flooed Mrs. Weasley, babbling about his poor godson being terminally ill and how he was unable to comfort him in the slightest.

The Weasley matriarch, of course, laughed at his worries and handed him several baby books as well as instructing him on methods to help Teddy whilst reminiscing of Percy going through the same thing.

The door opened and Teddy ran inside, shedding snow-covered clothing off as he made his way into the kitchen. "I'm cold," the little boy complained, his cheeks flushed a pleasant pink.

Harry grinned. "Well, since you've been outside in the snow for nearly an hour, I'd say you have good reason to be," he replied, tone fairly blasé.

"Uncle Harry," Teddy whined, pouting ever-so-slightly. "Can I have some tea? And some soup to warm up?"

Harry looked at him pointedly. "I don't know. _Can_ you?"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "_May_ I have some tea and soup?"

Harry nodded his head, satisfied. "I will start making it, but your clothes do not belong on the hallway floor. And you might as well bathe and change into some warm jammies."

Teddy had the decency to look sheepish before nodding his head and disappearing to do as he was told. Harry chuckled and set to work. His godson had grown in the span of a few days, or so it seemed. He could still remember the mischievous toddler flinging his mushy peas at the wall with his tiny nose scrunched in distaste. Now his godson was seven years old, eight in two months, and it seemed like he didn't really need his Uncle Harry anymore.

There weren't really any monsters hiding in his closet anymore. Only silly five year olds believed that nonsense, and Teddy was a big kid.

There wasn't any need to leave the hallway light on. Only four year olds were scared of the dark.

There wasn't any need to read him a bedtime story. Only babies and little kids couldn't read themselves.

His Teddy was growing up so quickly, and Harry didn't feel like he was twenty-five. A large part of him still felt like he was eighteen and clueless when it came to children. He'd learned a lot raising Teddy, but the one thing he couldn't (or perhaps it was _wouldn't_) learn was letting go.

Granted, Teddy was still too young to be let go of fully, but that didn't stop Harry from trying to shelter him somewhat. It wasn't until he became a parent (sort of) that Harry fully understood why Mrs. Weasley worried all the time. Having lived through a war, it gave him a more-than-healthy dose of paranoia and fear. Harry didn't want Teddy to experience any of that. He didn't want Teddy to be shunned by children who wouldn't understand why he had to live with his uncle. He didn't want Teddy to come home from school crying because everybody else got to make mother's day and father's day cards, and Teddy didn't have a mummy or a daddy to give them to. Harry wanted to shelter Teddy from all of it.

When he told Mrs. Weasley of his fears, she'd smiled softly and patted his face as she said, "You can't protect him from everything."

That confused him more than anything. She herself had tried so hard to protect her own children, as well as himself, from almost everything, it'd seemed. Now when he wanted those pearls of wisdom concerning the safety of a tiny life entrusted to him, she wanted him to sort of ease up? Were people even allowed to have such a drastic change of perspective?

"Are you really Molly Weasley?" he'd demanded, eyes narrowed somewhat suspiciously.

Mrs. Weasley had laughed. "I know it's odd advice coming from me. However, take a moment to think about it. I tried my best to protect all of my children from everything in the world that might hurt them, and do you know what happened? The more I tried to shelter, the more my children walked towards danger. Bill got a job as a curse breaker, Charlie decided to tame dragons, you and Ron were always off on some wild adventure. Protecting your children is not synonymous with keeping them from experiencing life, and it took me quite some time to remember that lesson."

She was right, of course. He couldn't protect Teddy from everything out there, and Teddy's life wouldn't be nearly as exciting or exuberant if he was sheltered from everything.

It was that final thought that pushed Harry to enroll Teddy in public school. His original excuse to keep Teddy home-schooled had been because of the little boy's uncontrollable Metamorphmagus abilities. With his hair changing colors with the slightest shift in his emotions, Harry couldn't let him attend a school full of Muggles. His first thought was to use a potion to somehow hide his Metamorphmagus powers, but to Harry's dismay the only potions available to somehow alter one's appearance were invented _by_ a Metamorphmagus. Glamour charms, cosmetic potions and spells, they all were created to mimic a Metamorphmagus' ability to alter appearance.

The only good thing that had come out of that was the decision to home school Teddy. It seemed like a good way to make sure Teddy got both a Muggle and magical education as well as keep a close eye on the little boy in his care. It also made Hermione happy since Harry had to catch up on his own lacking education from both worlds in order to meet Washington state's home schooling requirements.

It had also gave Harry something to do other than watch Teddy all the time. He didn't really have any friends in America, and the ones he did have back home had lives.

The problem with home schooling Teddy was how lonely the little boy had become. He would beg to be let out of the house every day, and when he was allowed, it was only as far as the front of the house. Harry had set up wards around the perimeter to prevent strange people coming onto the property as well as wards to make sure Teddy couldn't wander off. The once-in-a-few-months trips to the Weasley house during someone's birthday didn't give Teddy nearly enough time to socialize with other children.

Harry realized that he, in a way, was raising Teddy the way he'd been raised. He didn't force Teddy into manual labor or neglect or verbally abuse him, but keeping the small child isolated didn't do much good either. The realization had weighed his heart down and when Teddy begged again to go the playground with other children, Harry nearly cried. It was never his intention to hurt Teddy; he'd only meant to try to protect the small boy.

In that moment, Harry understood Dumbledore more than he'd ever planned or wanted to…

The problem was soon fixed, however, when after months of grueling practice, Teddy was able to control when he changed his hair color just in time to enroll in second grade. He had a few slips, of course, but the issues in controlling his powers were barely noticeable to the untrained eye.

With Teddy out of the house almost the entire day, Harry nearly worried himself to death and constantly glanced at the clock where Teddy's hour hand rested on school and minute hand rested on happy. Hermione had suggested he find a hobby or a lover, but since Teddy was and would always be his first priority, Harry decided to take the former advice.

As a result, the outside of his house looked amazing. He had a green thumb and his flowerbeds were proof. Gardening, however, wasn't enough to keep the war hero occupied and he instead decided to try different forms of art. It turned out Teddy was a much better painter than Harry could ever hope to be, but Harry didn't mind too much. Of course, he'd been a little offended when Teddy offered to teach him how to paint like a pro (the cheeky little brat) but dabbing paint on the then six-year-old's nose had been well worth the resulting paint fight. The living room never looked better, if he did say so himself.

Finding a magical community was also rather difficult, so Harry ended up spending most of his time in his house like a hermit. American magic, it turned out, had strong Wiccan roots and didn't support the use of a wand. While Harry was adept at quite a bit of wandless magic, he refused to do magic without his wand. It was ten inches long, made of oak, and had unicorn hair as its core. His new wand didn't feel as perfect as his holly wand, which had been destroyed in the war, or as powerful as the Elder wand, which he returned to Dumbledore's tomb, but it felt right enough.

Finally annoyed with Harry's whining about not having anything to do all day, Ron suggested he write a book about his troubles. It had been sarcastic, not meant to be taken seriously at all. However, Harry had blinked, thought about it, and decided to give it a try. He'd managed to publish four books under a pen name, and Harry could honestly say he was quite content with what he did. He certainly didn't need the money, considering the fact that he'd inherited enough to live off of and he also had all that money from the _Daily Prophet_, but earning the money selling books he'd worked really hard on felt better than using money he felt he didn't deserve.

"Uncle Harry, I don't feel so good," Teddy mumbled from the doorway.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts and walked briskly towards his godson, placing a hand on the flushed cheeks. "Well, perhaps you stayed out a tad longer than you should have," he murmured contemplatively. "You're a bit warm, but I'm sure some hot soup and a good night's rest should cure you. Come along now. I'll tuck you into bed and bring the soup up when it's done."

Teddy frowned, disgruntled as Harry picked him up. "I'm not a baby," he rasped, laying his head down on Harry's shoulder. "I can walk by myself."

"You'll always be my baby," Harry retorted softly, holding his godson close and enjoying the smaller body pressed against his. He hadn't been able to hold Teddy like this in quite some time since his adorable little godson was becoming a big, strong kid and, therefore, didn't need any help doing anything. "Besides, do you really want to walk back up the stairs when you're feeling so icky?"

"Bad," Teddy mumbled. "I'm feeling bad, Uncle Harry."

Harry sighed somewhat sadly. "Bad," he amended.

Teddy let out a breathless giggle, sounding sleepier by the second. "Fine, but don't tell Kevin."

Harry rolled his eyes at the mention of Kevin Newton, Teddy's best friend for a total of three weeks. He suspected the little boy probably had something to do with Teddy's suddenly adamant beliefs that about how a boy should act, but he didn't have anything concrete to say for sure. All he knew was that his little Teddy had been okay with private hugs and kisses, but almost a month ago (when he began to play with Kevin) he suddenly changed his mind and deemed _all_ hugs and kisses girly and uncool.

Harry's first instinct was to keep the corrupting little twerp as far away from his godson as possible, but he had reminded himself that Kevin was also a child and that Teddy would have to learn some lessons on his own. Instead of locking Teddy in a box again, he would make sure to teach Teddy all the right lessons and show him how to draw his own conclusions.

Because parenting, although very fulfilling and rewarding, was very much like a Quidditch game. He had to wait for the opposition to make their move and then plan to lessen that impact.

At least, that's how Ron described it.

Harry gently laid Teddy down in his bed and noted with surprise that the small boy had fallen asleep. He placed his hand on Teddy's forehead again and nearly yelped at how hot it felt. Taking a deep breath to stop any panic threatening to take over, he calmly walked downstairs, turned off the soup, and retrieved Fever Reducers. He checked the wards before he went back to Teddy's room, a routine habit that he had no plans of breaking.

Without another thought, he grabbed a book from his room and went to Teddy's, intent on watching over the small boy until the fever went down. He learned early to wait until he'd exhausted all methods of trying to heal Teddy before raising the alarm and panicking everyone back in Britain. His head had hurt for days after Hermione wacked him good for worrying her over a small fever that had went away in a few hours.

Harry shuddered at the memory.

Opening his book and preparing for a long night, Harry sat next to Teddy's bed and began to read, ignorant of the cold Adonis-like figure looming outside of the house.

A/N: Never before had I gone to bed, woken up, and received over three hundred e-mails for one story. Like, damn. Thanks a lot, guys! Even the ones who just faved this, lol. Originally, I was going to bring Embry in this chapter. That is obviously not the case. Instead, I thought giving you a glimpse of the changes that have occurred over the last eight years (technically, almost eight) will lay a nice foundation for me to fall back on in future chapters. So, Embry will be featured in the next chapter. Not sure how long this will be, but I expect I'll have a nice journey, and I hope you all stick around with me for it.

I've also begun yet another pet project that I'm trying vehemently to not post until at least _Pleasant Dreams_ is completed. We'll see how long that lasts, yeah? XD Also, I'll try to aim for this chapter length every time, but don't expect it always. When my muse says no more, I stop writing. Capiche? =)

Anyways, please review. I'm excited to hear some feedback concerning this little baby of mine.


	3. Chapter 2 – Shifting and Imprinting

Chapter 2 – Shifting and Imprinting

"_Everything that happens has a reason behind it."_

/Embry/\Harry\

The heat emanating from Teddy's forehead worried him. Harry frowned and grabbed a rag from his drawer. The Fever Reducer should have kicked in hours ago. Instead, Teddy's fever rose to an alarming 106.5 degrees Fahrenheit and seemed like it would continue to rise. Normally the high temperature would have severely damaged a Muggle child, but Teddy's magic was able to protect him from higher fevers. However, Harry didn't doubt that eventually even Teddy's magic wouldn't be able to protect him from whatever was ailing him. This worry was more than enough to convince Harry to bring outside forces to help.

Wetting the rag and placing it on Teddy's forehead, Harry grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and called, "Harpy's Palace," into the fireplace before he stuck his head in. He smiled at the sight of the woman he used to be in love with bustling around her living room, moving in a manner that screamed Molly Weasley.

Her auburn hair shone brilliantly in the sun filtering into the room. Soft, melodic sounds escaped her mouth as she hummed an old Muggle tune along with the old fashioned radio playing in the background. She'd grown over the last eight years from a teenager on the cusp of womanhood to one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. She had curves in all the right places and flawless skin, at her prime and simply breath-taking. If Harry wasn't interested in hard, sculpted muscles instead of soft flesh, he had no doubt they would've found a way to work things out.

Alas, now wasn't the time to think about that.

"Haven't seen those green eyes in a while," Ginny commented when she finally spotted the head in her fireplace, quirking a smile and an eyebrow at Harry.

The dark haired man smiled back, warmth entering his eyes. "I know," he apologized, "and sadly this fire call isn't personal. I need your help."

Ginny nodded. "And how may I be of assistance?"

Harry hurriedly explained the problem, silently awed at how quickly the woman slipped into her professional mode. It had always been Ginny's dream to be on a professional Quidditch team—ever since she was younger. However, the reality turned out differently than the fantasy. While she loved the game, Ginny wanted a family more than anything. With her constantly needing to travel, that was impossible. After five years and much deliberation, Ginny decided to retire from her position as Chaser on the Holyhead Harpies and use her hard-earned money to go to college.

Ron bemoaned for days. "You're the greatest female Chaser yet," he'd complained. "Don't give up the game now or you'll be stuck in a boring office job like this one!"

Hermione, of course, wacked her husband over the head and encouraged the slightly younger woman, "It's an excellent idea, Ginny, and you have my full support."

As fate would have it, as Ginny played her last professional Quidditch game, she'd been hit with a bludger in the stomach. The tremendous impact, sad to say, caused enough damage that no magic could cure. She was forever robbed of the one ability she had decided to quit her career for—bearing children.

When she woke from her medically induced coma and heard the news, Ginny shut down. No amount of comfort from her family could change her stoic expression. The light in her eyes had begun to slowly die day by day. Mrs. Weasley had coaxed her baby girl into moving back home until she could function normally, but that hadn't been enough to keep an eye on Ginny. Instead, they rarely saw her at all. She stayed holed in her room for hours at a time and only left to eat meals when Mrs. Weasley herself dragged Ginny to the kitchen table.

Harry heard about Ginny's sterility nearly two weeks later. He and Teddy had been taking a small vacation in the Caribbean with no means of communication. The vacation served as a birthday present to Teddy and a tribute to his parents; Tonks and Remus had wanted to travel places during their much deserved happily ever after. Just because they couldn't enjoy it didn't mean they'd want Teddy to miss out on the adventures they would've had.

"Ginny had an accident," Hermione had said solemnly over the phone when he'd called to let her know the details. "Harry…she's bad."

Without a moment's hesitation, Harry had gathered Teddy in his arms and immediately Flooed to the Burrow. Teddy was placed in Mrs. Weasleys arms and he marched himself to Ginny's room. It hadn't changed much since she'd moved out the first time—a nice lilac color and very neat, so unlike Ron's old room. He'd spotted her sitting on her bed, head bowed as she gazed blankly at a small book in her hands.

He didn't try to talk to her like Hermione had. The bookworm had been screamed at.

He didn't try to hug her like Mrs. Weasley had. The mother had been pushed away.

He didn't try to convince her that the game was the greatest she'd ever placed like Ron had. The insensitive man had earned himself a broken nose.

Instead, Harry had sat and waited. Ginny would talk to him when she felt like it, and no sooner. At his presence, her position had relaxed considerably. Before he knew it, Ginny had all but flown at him, sobbing heavily into his shoulder. Without another thought, Harry had wrapped his arms around her and rocked her, listening to her broken words and mournful cries. He listened as she ranted about all of the other women in the world that didn't deserve to be mothers just popping out babies, and that she had wanted one more than anything in the world. She had so wanted to be a mother, but that dream was ruthlessly murdered. Never would she be able to actually have a tiny life growing inside of her; there would be no more pregnancy scares. She would never experience the joy her mother had…_never_…

When Ginny had calmed down enough, Harry had whispered soft encouraging words to her. "There are a ton of orphans in the world that need help," he'd gently said. "Any of them would be lucky to have you as a mother."

She had shrugged her shoulders, not really caring. "I left Quidditch to have a family. It's not possible now; not the way I want it to be."

Harry had wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "So do something about it."

That little statement had slowly transformed Ginny from the devastated woman back to her strong, independent self. She continued her plans to go to college and intensively studied the art of Healing. Currently, she was one of the best damn Healers Britain had ever seen. Just because she was physically incapable of birthing children didn't mean she didn't like caring for them.

"Step aside," Ginny said, already retrieving her medical bag and snapping Harry out of his musings.

Harry smiled as she walked out of his fireplace only moments later, shaking her head to rid the fuzziness that accompanied International Floo travel. He hugged her briefly and placed the tiniest of kisses to her temple before leading her towards Teddy's room. Ginny immediately walked over to the edge of Teddy's bed, wand out and scanning the small boy with every spell in her arsenal. She frowned slightly, small lines appearing near her eyebrows.

"Strange," she murmured softly.

"What is?" Harry wrung his hands nervously. Had he made a mistake in waiting before calling for help? Had he somehow irreparably helped damage Teddy?

"Despite his high fever, Teddy doesn't seem to have anything wrong with him. His body isn't fighting anything foreign and his only other symptoms seem to be his muscles contracting. As a matter of fact, it seems like his body is doing some major work to become stronger, though I don't know why," Ginny explained. She hummed thoughtfully. "Hermione said something like this might happen…"

"What did Hermione say exactly?" Harry asked curiously, feeling a little better that Teddy was actually somewhat okay.

Ginny put away her wand and motioned for Harry to follow her. She'd only been in his cottage once before, but it seemed she still knew her way around. The red-haired woman walked into his kitchen as if it were her own and began making tea. The act seemed simple, yet it worried him a little. Ginny only made him tea when she had important, life-altering news to tell him. Last time, it'd been before they broke up and she had a pregnancy scare. Needless to say, Harry never trusted her making him tea ever again.

"Drink," Ginny said as she set the mug beside him.

"Not quite sure if I trust it," Harry murmured, eyeing the tea suspiciously.

Ginny grinned. Her eyes took on a wry quality as she said, "While it isn't bad news, I'm not sure it can necessarily be considered good news. Knowing you, you'd see some silver lining."

Harry sighed and sank onto his kitchen chair. He took a long sip of tea and nodded his head. "I'm ready for whatever beans you're about to spill."

Ginny snorted. "Silly Americanisms," she said playfully. Her expression quickly sobered up a few moments later. "Harry, as you know, Hermione has been doing some private research for a few years concerning Teddy. She was fascinated about him retaining only some qualities of his father's lycanthropy. There were a few willing volunteers at the S.P.M.C.W. that helped her with her research."

Harry nodded. He already knew about all of this. "Mhm," he hummed in agreement.

"In the few cases where the child doesn't fully inherit the parent's lycanthropy, they become very ill as their body changes to accept the genes have been passed down. This varies age-wise and hasn't happened very often. It looks like Teddy is the youngest so far." Ginny stared at him, trying to gage his reaction.

Harry stared at his cup of tea thoughtfully. "Okay," he said slowly. "So…what? He's becoming a stronger human? Is he still human?"

"He is," Ginny assured. She knew Harry didn't particularly care, but even the improvements in the Wizarding world could completely rid it of its former prejudices. "He's just got some wolfish aspects. From what I can see, his skin will become more resilient to nearly anything. Silver may still be a problem, but I don't think you particularly want to figure that out at this point in time. Hermione also thinks he'll maintain a higher body temperature than the average human. She suspects he'll also be able to take the form of a wolf at will. At least, that's what previous cases have shown. Teddy may be entirely different."

"I can deal with this," Harry murmured softly. "I've handled Voldemort; this won't be any problem."

Ginny grinned at him, sipping her tea. "So, how have you been?"

Harry shrugged, eyeing her with a half-smile. "Pretty good. I'm almost done with my new book."

Ginny snorted. "You mean M. Night Wolfe is almost finished with his new book," she retorted playfully.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Same person," he replied. "But yes, the next book is just about finished."

"Good! I'm tired of waiting for your lazy arse to publish it."

Harry laughed softly. "What about you?" he asked. "How's everything?"

"Same old, same old." Ginny frowned slightly. "It's actually been kind of boring."

"Well, what about that Robert fellow you were seeing?" Harry had heard about the bloke a few weeks ago during one of their rare social calls, considering her long work hours and his taking care of Teddy during all of his free time. She sounded happy about dating the bloke then.

"He apparently wasn't as okay about not having children as he said he was," Ginny said softly, averting her gaze. Her eyes took on a soft misty quality.

Harry's expression saddened. "Oh, Ginny…"

Ginny shook her head and smiled. "It's alright," she said somewhat numbly. "I long accepted my condition. It doesn't stop the wanting, but I can accept its irreparability."

"You'll find someone who will accept everything about you," Harry said, standing up to pull her into a hug.

"I might as well become a lesbian. They won't expect me to bear any children," Ginny joked into Harry's chest, her voice muffled as she returned the hug. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of safety briefly before she pulled away.

Harry snorted. "It's not exactly something you randomly decide one day," he said dryly, a tiny grin on his face. Poking fun of his homosexuality was Ginny's way of showing she was okay with it, and it made Harry love her all the more.

"Perhaps not, but sexuality does seem to creep up unexpectedly and in the oddest of times," she commented. They shared a moment of silence before collapsing into giggles. Their light-hearted moment was disrupted by Ginny's watch suddenly erupting into a series of chimes—it was a neat invention by her father. "I'm needed at the hospital," she said apologetically.

Harry nodded his head. "I understand. Thanks for checking on Teddy," he replied softly.

"I saw the potions on his bedside table. You did a good job," Ginny replied easily, smiling widely. "Just keep him hydrated with plenty of fluids. I wouldn't worry too much about the fever since it doesn't really seem to be endangering him. The only thing you can really do is wait. Let me know if anything changes."

She gave him one last hug before making her way to the living room and disappearing into the fireplace. Harry stared at it for a moment longer before putting the partially full teacups into the sink and making his way back to Teddy's bedroom. Ginny hadn't really changed in the past few years, and her presence had comforted him. Harry didn't realize how much he'd missed her.

Walking into Teddy's room, Harry froze. The bed was empty. Trying to stop the panicking in his heart, Harry decided to check places Teddy might have gone to—the bathroom, his own bedroom. Nothing. The little boy wouldn't be downstairs. For one, Harry had just come from there. Besides, Teddy should have been too weak.

A soft noise from under the covers caught his attention. Cautiously, Harry reached under the covers and gasped. A small brown wolf cub stared back at him, eyes sparked with recognition. It let out a series of barks and whines, standing on its hind legs.

"Teddy?" Harry whispered, eyes wide.

Teddy let out a howl, nodding his head up and down. He took a few uneasy steps forward before flopping down on the bed. His fur changed to a deep blue. Harry remembered Teddy doing that as a small child when he was sad or depressed. With a confused smile, the black haired man picked up the wolf cub and cuddled him to his chest.

"Oh, Teddy," Harry said, shaking his head and laughing. "It seems you've earned my unusual talent of random occurrences happening to you. Though I think you may have topped my record with this latest situation…"

Teddy growled playfully and patted Harry's nose with his paw.

Harry laughed again before setting Teddy down on the floor. Teddy looked at him confusedly, cocking his head to the side and his ears drooping. A tiny whimper escaped the still blue cub. Harry smiled and focused his magic. He felt the change happening—his bones reshaped and he sprouted fur.

He decided to become an Animagus six years ago. Originally, it was because at the time he'd been exploring and researching all types of magic. Most wizards failed to realize that an Animagus transformation was wandless magic. They relied too heavily on using their wands and didn't see that they had the potential to be greater.

Harry, of course, was already quite proficient in wandless magic. It wasn't a talent he wanted to show off, per se. All of his life, Harry craved normalcy. That hadn't changed when he became a wizard, nor when he found out he was the Wizarding world's Chosen One, nor when he defeated Voldemort. If anyone found out he didn't really need a wand, he'd be placed on an even higher pedestal.

Not using wandless magic didn't make him any less of a wizard—just a normal one.

Still, after researching nearly every kind of magic and figuring out which he was most comfortable with, shifting into an animal at will had to be one of Harry's favorite branches of magic. His Animagus form was that of a midnight black wolf (hence his oh-so-clever penname) with sleek fur, glowing unmistakably green eyes, and ominously gleaming claws. His arms and legs were strong, perfect for running…or taking out an enemy.

Running in his Animagus form provided a nice freedom he hadn't before experienced. He'd become addicted to running throughout the plush greenery of the forest in Forks and La Push, feeling the loose dirt underneath his paws and taking in nature with new eyes.

He'd indulged in the occasional run when he was completely certain that Teddy was deeply asleep. He couldn't do it as often as he wanted to because of the little boy in his care, but he cherished every time he was able to run free.

Teddy barked wildly, his fur changing bright yellow as Harry joined him in wolf form. Harry allowed the cub to nuzzle its cheek against his leg before using his rough tongue to lick Teddy's other cheek. Using his teeth to gently bite Teddy at the base of the neck, like he'd seen most parental animals do to their young, he carried his godson down the stairs and out of the house. He set Teddy down and snorted, absent-mindedly wondering why he hadn't just bothered transforming outside.

Teddy let out small yips as he felt the snow beneath his paws. Excited, he began running around in circles in an amused attempt to chase after his tail. Harry let out barks of laughter. He could feel the wards adjust ever-so-slightly to his and Teddy's wolf forms, accepting their magical signatures and not taking any action against them. That's why he liked these particular wards; they were more advanced than the ones he'd originally planned on placing around his property. The plan had been to protect him and Teddy from outside forces, all kinds, unless keyed into the wards.

The problem with such wards, however, was that people could accidentally stumble upon his domicile and get hurt. Because, of course, when people live in an area surrounded by such a beautifully plush forest, camping was a must.

Not wanting to get the American magical government involved, Harry had to have modified wards that protected him from harm against those with malicious intent towards the persons in the house. It worked out just fine, in the end. There wasn't really too much supernatural life in Forks, Washington. He didn't really need to be under such heavy protection; not like him and Teddy would have in Britain despite all the changes for the better.

Another issue with the wards was that they only alerted him to potential dangers. When a person entered a warded area with the will to do harm against the people residing in said area, it tainted their cores ever-so-slightly. The wards were good at detection such taints. The real problem with the wards was that anyone powerful, or smart, enough could easily hide their presence. He wouldn't really have a clue as to whether or not someone was watching him.

The thought sent chills down his spine.

Still, Forks was a calm area and nothing exciting ever happened. The paranoia he'd developed since surviving the war wouldn't let him completely rest. He'd abide by American magical laws since he was currently an American citizen, but Mad-Eye Moody's cries of, "_CONSTANT VIGILENCE!_" would never escape his head. He didn't believe anything would really happen, but he had several back-up plans for every type of problem only Harry Potter would ever be capable of running into.

Teddy's fur changed to bubble gum pink. It was the same shade Tonks preferred, Harry noticed wistfully. With a soft bark, Harry nudged Teddy into walking. The cub followed without another word, instincts kicking in. For all intents and purposes, Harry was leader of the pack. Harry was the one that would keep him safe no matter what.

Harry urged Teddy to break into a soft jog with encouraging growls and yips. It was like teaching his baby how to walk all over again, and he loved it. He'd missed the early years, raising Teddy from scratch, wondering if he was doing it right and if the little boy would grow up into the man Tonks and Remus would be proud of. He'd had his doubts and insecurities, moments of weakness where he thought of his neglectful childhood getting in the way of providing Teddy with the loving environment he himself had never had.

Teddy's little pink tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted happily, tail wagging cheerfully. He seemed to enjoy being in his wolf form. Perhaps that was instinct as well. Harry never hid Remus' lycanthropy from the boy and, though he wasn't completely sure Teddy would be able to shift into a wolf at will, he had told Teddy of the possibility.

Like all confident children raised away from prejudices, Teddy thought it would be a cool thing to inherit from his father. If only Remus had lived long enough to hear that…

Shaking his head, Harry let out a bark. He had much to show Teddy about his little wolf body, and plenty of time and land to do so. With another nudge, Harry led Teddy further away from their house and closer towards the edge of the wards, acknowledging the scent of other animals in the forest but unaware of the significance of another much larger wolf patrolling not too far away.

* * *

><p>There were times where Embry Call hated being a shape shifter.<p>

Firstly, it fucked with his idea of reality. He'd grown up believing the old tales his tribe had spoken of were just that. Tales. _Fiction_. There were no such things as vampires, werewolves, mythical creatures, or anything of the like. It just wasn't possible, and it was universally accepted as a myth. Well, it was until he'd gotten really sick, missed a week of school, and discovered that it wasn't mythical bullshit. Like the elders had spoke of, Embry became one of the lucky kids to have the ability to transform into a wolf and exactly on his seventeenth birthday.

Oh, the joy.

When he really thought about it, the freedom to change into a wolf was actually rather cool. He could do something others couldn't, and it made him special. However, being a member of Sam's budding pack had certain consequences that made Embry curse his genes. The second reason why he wasn't too thrilled to be able to shift was because of the secrecy involved in the act. Now that he had a wolf form, he had certain duties that needed tending to, like protecting Forks from the Cullens or any other leech they ran across.

His mother was ignorant to his newfound ability, and couldn't understand that he _wasn't_ rebelling against her by staying out as late as he did. He had a responsibility to protect the humans surrounding the La Push territory. It wasn't like he could walk up to her and say, "_Mom, I'm not trying to go against your authority. I just need to walk around the edge of the forest at odd hours to protect Forks and La Push from the leech infestation. I'll try to make it home in time for dinner tomorrow_."

Along with not being able to tell his mother anything, Embry couldn't tell his best friends either. He always told Quil and Jacob _everything_. Now he ignored them in favor of his pack duties, and he could see how hurt and confused they were by his behavior. Jacob's kind brown eyes that were always laughing were now accusatory, taking in his change in appearance and attitude with disapproval. Embry so wanted to tell them, but keeping the secret was much too important, and his Alpha had forbidden it.

Frowning, Embry continued to prowl the edge of the border line between La Push and Cullen territory. Another issue with having inherited the shape shifter gene was the issue of his parentage. He'd always believed his father was some bastard that didn't care for his mother or him. Now he found out that his father was actually one of three cheating bastards that certainly weren't about to find out if he was their son—to keep the tribe problem-free, of course.

His nose twitched slightly; he caught the scent of two strange creatures. Wolves, he could tell, but different. One of them smelt slightly familiar, as if he'd caught a small whiff of it before. Embry frowned and followed the scent, his haunches raised. An odd, unidentifiable sensation crept into the pit of his stomach.

Quietly padding closer to the scent, Embry tried to keep his presence unnoticeable for as long as possible. He caught a glimpse at the strange wolves and his eyes widened.

A small cub with unmistakably yellow fur was curled against the leg to what Embry assumed was his father. For some reason, the thought of a wolf having yellow fur was stranger to him than a human shifting into a wolf.

The other wolf was older, male, and had a sort of air around him. His eyes, a startling vivid emerald green, were too knowledgeable. He'd seen other (normal) wolves before; knew how calculatingly smart they were. This wolf's eyes, though… They reminded him of his pack. They were somehow human.

The wolf had a beautiful midnight black coat, standing out tremendously in the snow. Embry studied the wolf for a bit, confused and feeling oddly glad.

Gold began to tint his vision, temporarily blinding him. That strange wolf was surrounded by gold lights, beautifully horrifying. Embry choked on air, the sound catching the attention of the strange wolf. The wolf got into a ready stance, upper lip curled upwards in a snarl as he stood between Embry and his cub.

Embry's heart thudded faster. The wolf—he was beautiful. His eyes widened in horror and before he could think, the world began to spin out of orbit and he felt himself collapsing onto the snow. He could hear his small pack in the back of his mind demanding to know what the problem was.

He just imprinted on a male wolf.

Shit.

A/N: Thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I apologize if I haven't replied to them; I've been sick lately and not feeling too well. I was particularly inspired today, however, and this came out. These chapters are coming out longer than _Wish Upon a Star_ and_ Pleasant Dreams_, and I hope you enjoy them. =) Reviews would be lovely. Embry has been introduced and will feature more in the next chapter.

And before anyone asks, just because Embry has imprinted on Harry does not mean they'll be developing a relationship right away. For one, Harry's 25 (almost 26) and for two, Embry just turned 17. It'd be no fun if I have them just hop into bed right away.

Damerly: Ah, muchas gracias! Estoy feliz que usted le gusta mi historia mucho. No hay muchas historias de esta pareja, pero esta bien. Me gusta escribir la unica historia, lol. =D Y si. Harry y Teddy ya estan en Forks. En el ultimo capitulo, Harry decidio mover a Forks.


	4. Chapter 3 – Problems

Chapter 3 – Problems

"_Every problem has a gift for you in its hands."_

/Embry/\Harry\

Victoria was hard-pressed not to let her disgusted sneer show. Her deceivingly delicate-looking hand clenched tightly, and her dead heart was consumed with fiery rage. Oh, how she wanted to avenge James. She wanted to squeeze the life out of that pathetic human Bella Swan, feel the stupid bitch's pulse stop just below her fingers. And then, when Edward Cullen tried to avenge his fallen mate, she would end him.

But, of course, Victoria was privy to the phrase, "_Good things come to those who wait_."

In order to extract her revenge and lengthen her chances at survival in the process, she needed to plan things carefully. That was why she'd started her little newborn army about ten months ago. She would slaughter the reason why her mate was dead, enjoy licking the blood away from the tantalizing human's neck, and when Edward Cullen was overcome with as much agony as she had felt, her army would wipe the Cullens out of existence.

Her revenge was so close to fruition, she could almost taste it. A dangerously cruel smirk danced across her lips.

A familiar scent wafted towards her and she schooled her features into one of eager anticipation. Riley had returned. He looked at her with a pitifully admiring gaze, eyes filled with enough adoration to make Victoria feel thoroughly disgusted. Sure, he was cute, but Victoria didn't give a damn about him or his feelings. She needed him to extract her revenge—nothing more, nothing less.

Thank goodness he was too stupid and blind to see past her façade.

"Have you chosen another?" she asked, her voice low and sultry. He'd been an excellent helper so far, selecting candidates to join her army—well, _force_ into her army.

Riley shivered, his red eyes half-lidded with unrequited emotions. "I think so," he replied. "He's…special."

Victoria cocked an eyebrow. "How?" she scoffed.

Riley stepped forward, invading her personal bubble with a saucy grin as he placed his hands on her hips. "He was one of those people you were telling me about," he whispered in her ear, mistaking her shiver of disgust for an emotion she was incapable of feeling towards him. "He had that stick thing; a wand, I believe."

Victoria froze. A wizard? The last time she'd encountered one was in London when she was a part of Hilda's coven. Her eyes hardened in hatred. Wizards were partly the reason why the Volturi had slaughtered the only family she'd had. Arrogant and disgusting creatures, they were. Wizards thought with their magic that they had the right to rule everything. In their attempt to subdue her coven, vampires and wizards were exposed to the mundane.

The fight that ensued was one of the bloodiest she'd ever been involved in.

Their narrow victory had been hollow, however. With too many witnesses to the frenzy that occurred after the first draw of blood, vampires had immediately been painted as evil creatures thirsting for humans. The mundane, fearful for what was better than they, immediately began hunting anything they considered abnormal. The Volturi, damn them, had stepped in then; had accused them of drawing too much attention to themselves and, consequently, every other vampire.

Victoria was lucky she made it out alive.

Eventually witches, wizards, vampires, and everything the mundane feared had faded into obscurity and became things of myth. But Victoria hadn't forgotten. She would never forget. Had it not been for wizards, they wouldn't have been exposed. Had it not been for those disgusting bugs, her sister would still be with her.

After she had her revenge on Edward Cullen and his insignificant mate, maybe she'd finally be able to wipe out the wizards with her army… Turning a wizard into a vampire would definitely be something worth trying. If a wizard could keep his magic during the transformation—oh, the _possibilities_.

She grinned wickedly at that thought. "Tell me more," she purred.

* * *

><p>Harry snarled ferociously at the other wolf. He'd been so busy helping Teddy get used to his new senses that he'd forgotten himself; forgotten the other creatures in the forest. The wolf was large, almost bear-like, with grey fur and black spots. Funny, he'd never seen mutated wolves before—because, <em>really<em>, a wolf this size _had_ to be a government experiment gone wrong.

He planted himself firmly between Teddy and the unknown mutated wolf. No way in hell was anything going to hurt his cub; not when Harry was still alive and kicking. Oddly enough, the mutated wolf simply stared at him, intelligent—_too_ intelligent—eyes wide with what Harry thought may have been shock. Being territorial creatures, Harry had expected for the wolf to at least attempt to fight him. Before he could further contemplate the strange behavior, the mutant wolf's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he dropped in a dead faint.

His ears twitched and he snarled louder as Teddy whimpered into his fur. It was a few tense moments before he found himself surrounded by three other mutated wolves. He was outnumbered and growled viciously when one of the wolves stepped forward, snarling. Teddy whimpered again before his fur began changing all sorts of colors. A soft light emitted and Harry cursed viciously.

Teddy shivered softly, once again in his human form and shivering in the cold snow. He was as naked as the day he was born, and stared at the wolves fearfully. Harry contemplated his choices quickly. He couldn't perform magic in his Animagus form, but if he changed back, he could possibly stun them all and run away with Teddy. Then again, he had no idea how fast these wolves were. Would they attack Teddy while he transformed? Would they attack now that they see fresh meat?

Growling at the wolves, he was once again surprised when they took a couple of steps backwards. If Harry didn't know any better, he'd say they looked taken aback that Teddy had turned human. He could use their surprise to his advantage. Thinking quickly, Harry shifted easily back into his human form. He stunned them quickly before turning around, taking his shirt off, and putting it on Teddy.

"U-Uncle Harry," Teddy stuttered, his small body trembling. "Are they going to eat us?"

Harry shook his head. "No, but let's not wait for them to wake up and find out."

"How come you have your clothes on?" Teddy glared enviously.

Harry snorted. "You'll learn to transform with clothes on soon enough. Let's go."

He easily picked up his godson and practically flung him over his shoulder. He began making his way towards their house, wordlessly and wandlessly using his magic to muddle their scents. It wouldn't do any good to be followed home by hungry mutant wolves.

"UNCLE HARRY!" Teddy shrieked.

It was the only warning he got before he was tackled into the snow. Teddy let out a small _oof_ as he went tumbling a few feet away near a bush. Harry sucked in deep breaths of air (because _damn_, the wolf was heavy) and managed to turn over, staring at the wolf that had fainted earlier with surprise. That surprise quickly melted into anger and desperation; he had not defeated Voldemort and moved to America just to get eaten by some stupid lab reject.

Before he could cast any magic, the wolf leaned down and licked his face. Harry flinched back, scrunching his nose and wiping at his face. "What the…?" he murmured.

Teddy let out a strangled noise and Harry was morbidly fascinated as the wolf on top of him phased into a man. A very naked man with a pair of shorts tied around his leg and a mortified expression on his face. The man let out a surprised yell and threw himself off Harry, quickly and efficiently putting his shorts on.

Harry scrambled onto his two feet and wandlessly cast _Accio_, holding his arms out. Teddy flew into them without protest and squeezed his godfather tightly. "Uncle Harry, is he an Animagus too?" Teddy whispered loudly.

Harry swallowed thickly, shaking his head to clear it. He took a step backwards, his arms encased around Teddy protectively. "Who are you?" he demanded, angry with himself when his voice came out a tad squeakier than he would've liked.

The man faced him, his tan cheeks flushed a dark red. His black hair was cropped short, and his brown eyes reflected his embarrassment. He was, after all, half-naked standing in the snow. "I mean you no harm," the man said softly, his voice a rather pleasant tenor.

Harry glared at him. "Who. Are. You?" he hissed, clutching Teddy close to him and keeping his eyes trained on the native man.

The man's cheeks darkened further. "I'm Embry Call," he replied. "I live in La Push."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar surname. "I take it you're a Muggleborn, then?"

Embry blinked, very confused. "A what?" He eyed the man—_his imprint_—before him, somewhat worried. As if his heart could take any more stress. When he passed out, he thought someone was punishing him. Because, really, just because he could turn _into_ a wolf did not mean he wanted to _imprint_ on one! To his surprise, he woke up to see his imprint turn into an admittedly very attractive man, do something unexplainable to his packmates, and walk away with a child in his arms.

He hadn't known what else to do. His imprint was walking away and something inside of him practically forced him to jump the other man. Then, to his horrific mortification, that very same feeling inside of him forced him to phase back into his human form. Just because the man was his imprint, that didn't mean he wanted to flaunt his birthday suit in the first few minutes of meeting the guy. He would never live this day down.

And now that he was actually talking to his imprint (whose voice was slightly deep and caused unmentionable shivers to travel up and down his spine, which was weird since Embry never considered his imprint being anything other than female, but then again it hadn't _really_ sunk in that his imprint was the same sex as him), it seemed like he damaged something when he jumped on his imprint. So, no, he didn't imprint on a male wolf. He just imprinted on someone who possibly escaped the Happy Hotel and took a hostage with him.

Yeah, Fate was laughing her ass off at him.

Harry regarded Embry in front of him. "Do you call it something different in America? Sorry, I never bothered with Wiccan magicks."

"Wicca? I have no idea what you're talking about," Embry retorted, still horrifically confused and unsure of what to do. His eyes flickered to his pack mates and his heart lurched. "Did you hurt them?"

Harry's eyes softened marginally and the death grip he had on Teddy loosened ever-so-slightly. "I've only stunned them to stop them from attacking," he explained almost gently. "They'll be fine."

Embry swallowed thickly and nodded his head. "What are you?" he asked quietly.

Harry frowned slightly. "I'm a wizard," he said slowly as if he were talking to someone handicapped.

"A wizard." Embry blinked. "Uh-huh. Pull the other one; it's got bells on it."

Harry scowled furiously. "Why the bloody Hell would I make up something like that?" he nearly snarled. "You know what? I don't even know why I'm talking to you. Good bye!"

"Wait!" Embry called, rushing forward to stop his imprint from leaving. He was surprised to find himself unable to move. His eyes widened. "I didn't mean to make you angry. It's just, magic isn't real."

Harry snorted. "Of course it isn't. That's why I have the form of a wolf, stunned your packmates, and you're unable to move. Because magic is fake," he said sarcastically.

Embry felt himself flush. "Well, it wasn't real a few minutes ago," he grumbled darkly.

"And, uh, how exactly can _you_ turn into a wolf without the aid of magic?" Harry asked, cocking his head to the side.

Embry coughed uncomfortably. "Genetics," he said unsurely. "My tribe's ancestors are descended from wolves."

"Right."

"Uncle Harry, is there something wrong with him?" Teddy whispered loudly.

"No, there isn't!" Embry protested, frowning.

Teddy regarded him curiously. "Well, you're making an awful big fuss over something that's true," he said factually. "Magic obviously exists or you wouldn't be a wolf at all."

Harry gave his godson a proud look. "Good thinking," he appraised. "It could be possible, though, that Call here was raised by squibs or Muggles."

"What's a squib? Or a Muggle?" Embry asked. "And, please, call me Embry."

Teddy's mouth formed an 'o' as he nodded his understanding. "Uncle Harry, I'm cold," he said suddenly.

Harry wrapped his arms around Teddy tighter, casting a warming charm on the boy. He released Embry and watched as the man stumbled, obviously relieved that he could move again. "Let's go," he murmured to his godson, once again walking away from Embry. He paused for just a moment before he waved his hand, reviving Embry's stunned packmates. "Don't follow us again."

Embry glanced at his packmates and in that moment Harry took his chance to cover up his tracks. When Embry looked back, his brain felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. The image of his imprint blurred considerably, and he couldn't really remember what the man looked like. His heart lurched unpleasantly, and he suddenly felt so very small.

"What happened?" Sam demanded groggily as he stood up, unaware or uncaring of his nude state.

"He's gone," Embry whispered, sounding confused and lost. "Gone. Don't follow."

"What?" Jared asked, his eyebrow cocked.

Embry's brows furrowed and his face scrunched up funnily. "I don't…I don't remember…" he murmured.

Paul scowled furiously. "My memory's fuzzy, too," he said angrily, upset that he couldn't remember and even more upset because of how unexplainable the situation seemed.

Sam held up his hand to quiet his small pack, his nostrils flaring slightly as he tried to smell any clues. He frowned, his nose only picking up the usual scent of nature and that of his packmates. The more he tried to remember what the hell had happened mere moments ago, the less he was able to recall. In fact, Sam wasn't too sure what he, Jared, and Paul were doing in this part of the forest. Embry had been on guard duty, and they'd never had a problem before. If any leeches had come looking for a fight, his nose would burn and surely there would have been evidence of a struggle.

But, no. The only sign of anything abnormal happening was Embry's constant whispers of some man who obviously wasn't there.

What on earth _happened_?

Sam knelt beside Embry, unsure of what to do. He opened the mind link he shared with Embry and tried to recall anything that might help him, but he was blinded by bright golden lights and an overwhelming feeling of desperation and fear. That was quickly followed by an emptiness that made his heart ache terribly.

It was almost as if he lost Emily…

Sam gasped softly, realization sinking into his head. Embry had imprinted on someone! But…where was his imprint?

"Embry, do you remember anything?" he asked quietly, his hands firmly squeezing the younger male's shoulders in an effort to comfort him as well as steady himself.

"Gone," Embry muttered, his eyes glossing over. "He's gone. I can't…I don't know…what…gone…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Paul snarled, his upper lip curled in distaste.

Sam gave him a heated look. "He imprinted," Sam hissed angrily. "And something's obviously happened. We need to have a council meeting—_now_!"

Paul was torn between snapping back and staring at Embry in shock. Jared none-too-gently nudged him, and both transformed into wolves, obeying Sam's mental orders to inform the council of all they knew, which wasn't much. Sam quickly put on his shorts and put one of Embry's arms over his shoulders. He would've preferred to phase back, but Embry was in no such condition to do so.

"Why can't I remember?" Embry whispered angrily to himself.

"Don't worry about it," Sam suggested. "We'll go to the council and set everything straight. Hold on tight, Embry."

They stumbled through the forest until they reached Billy Black's house. Sam pursed his lips at the thought of Billy's son, Jacob, being there whilst they tried to figure out what the hell happened to Embry. That thought was immediately dismissed, however. Billy Black knew the importance of keeping the shape-shifting ability a secret even more than Sam did. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it.

"Lay him here," Quil Ateara III, or Old Quil as most called him, said, gesturing to the unoccupied couch.

Billy Black's living room was comfortable and somewhat messy. Even though only Billy and Jacob occupied the house, it obviously lacked a woman's touch since Sarah Black passed and her daughters moved out. Still, there was something homey about the place that relaxed Sam as he laid his babbling packmate onto the couch.

"What happened?" Billy Black asked, curiosity and concern coloring his voice. He wheeled over to Embry, his brow furrowed in confusion as Embry continued to mutter about his lost imprint. Harry Clearwater and Old Quil exchanged looks as Paul and Jared stared at Embry with unreadable expressions.

Sam swallowed. "We're not exactly sure," he said slowly, "but I have reason to believe that Embry imprinted on someone."

"That's good," Harry Clearwater said, though his voice sounded unsure.

"The question is, who did he imprint on?" Old Quil murmured.

Sam sighed. "We don't know," he admitted. "It was Embry's turn to patrol. We can't remember anything. One minute we were on the other side of La Push, and the next all I recall is being next to Embry. He was already like this."

"You don't remember anything?" Billy asked in disbelief.

Paul and Jared shook their heads, confirming Sam's story. "He's been mumbling all this time," Jared said. "I didn't see anybody out there with him."

"Me neither," Paul growled. "He was out there by himself."

Harry Clearwater narrowed his eyes, boring holes into the wall as he attempted to process what the pack was telling him. "You're _sure_ he imprinted?"

Sam nodded firmly. "I used the link and I all I could see were gold lights. I felt…I felt like when I first saw Emily after I phased. And then…then it felt like I'd lost her."

The three elder Quileutes exchanged grave looks. "That is not good," Billy said softly. "Not good at all."

"What?" Paul demanded. "What's wrong with him?"

Old Quil sighed softly. "Tricky thing, imprinting," he said calmly. "Both imprinter and imprintee are the perfect match for each other; soul mates, if you will. The wolf will ensure that you care for your imprint however they need you, whether that's as a protector, or a lover, or a friend. It's one of the strongest bonds in nature. When that bond is severed or blocked…well, the situation becomes ugly."

"I didn't think you could block an imprint bond," Jared said quietly. "And the only way I know it can be severed is by death."

"NOT DEAD!" Embry screamed suddenly, glaring ferociously at Jared. His eyes flashed golden for a moment, taking all of them by surprise. He calmed down shortly after, his head bowing once again in despair. "Not dead…gone…"

"There are ways to block or sever it without resorting to fatal measures," Harry Clearwater admitted. "But they're practically unheard of, and humans are incapable of messing with an imprint bond."

"Well someone did," Paul grit out, "so how do we fix it?"

Harry Clearwater snapped his fingers suddenly. "Aunt Lucy," he whispered.

"What was that?" Billy wheeled over to his friend, a curious expression on his face.

"Aunt Lucy," Harry Clearwater repeated, raising his voice slightly. "Aunt Lucy can help."

"How?" Sam asked, his arms crossed over his chest. "Embry needs to get better—quick."

Harry Clearwater immediately lunged for the phone, explaining while punching in numbers. "Aunt Lucy had a twin, Carmen. Aunt Carmen received a letter one day when she was eleven to go to a fancy boarding school in Scotland for the gifted until she was seventeen."

"Does she still live in Scotland?" Jared scratched his head. He didn't really see how any of this was going to help Embry, who started to clutch his stomach and moan in pain.

Harry Clearwater spoke quickly on the phone to his aunt. "She died," he murmured after he hung up the phone. "There was a civil war brewing in Europe. Aunt Carmen was one of the casualties."

Jared winced. "My condolences."

Harry Clearwater smiled amiably and shook his head. "Aunt Lucy will be arriving soon."

"How is she going to help Embry?" Sam asked, glancing at his packmate with obvious worry.

The older Quileute looked nervous. "Aunt Lucy will have to explain that, as I cannot."

"So what're we supposed to do? Wait and do nothing while he's in pain?" Paul snarled, pointing at Embry. The other shape shifter groaned and clenched his fists, grinding his teeth together.

"We can't do anything for that," Old Quil said. "Embry is in pain because his imprint is not here. The sooner Lucy gets here, the sooner we'll be able to locate said imprint. Only then will Embry be at ease."

Billy frowned. He wasn't too happy with the situation at all. He turned towards his old friend. "Is there anything you can tell us?"

Harry Clearwater sighed heavily, glancing around the room. His eyes rested on Embry briefly. "Sit down," he said tiredly. He stared at each and every one of them seriously. "What do you think about magic?"

A/N: Um, I have several really good excuses for my absence. 1) X-Men First Class. (James McAvoy _and_ Michael Fassbender? Yum!) 2) Fast Five (Vin Diesel. 'Nuff said.) 3) The Marriage Stone by Josephine Darcy and A Brave New World by Cithara. (READ THEM!) 4) Family visited from NYC.

So, yeah. Terribly sorry about the delay. Excellent reasons for it, you see. I'm getting back into the flow of writing. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. The next one shouldn't take nearly as long to come out.


	5. Chapter 4 – Solutions

Chapter 4 – Solutions

"_All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."_

/Embry/\Harry\

Paul scowled, his fists clenched. "Very funny," he snarled. "How the hell is this hocus pocus crap going to help Embry?"

Harry Clearwater frowned disapprovingly at the youth. Before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Billy easily wheeled over to it and opened it, smiling. Two women stood in the doorway. The older looking woman had straight, jet black hair that reached the middle of her back. Time had been kind to her, the only evidence of her age being the slight crow's feet at the corners of her warm brown eyes.

"Good to see you again, Lucy. It's been a while," Billy said kindly.

Aunt Lucy grinned before she leaned down, enveloping the wheelchair-ridden man in a hug. "Indeed it has. I wish the circumstances were better." Her happy expression dimmed slightly before she brightened and gestured to the younger woman next to her. "This is my niece, Penelope Clearwater. When Harry called me, I figured she would be the best person to help Embry."

Penelope smiled at the group of men, tucking a thick lock of hair behind her ear. She kept her wand hidden carefully in the holster on her arm. The war had taken its toll on her and, though she knew why her mother's Muggle family was privy to magic and the Wizarding world, Penelope could still remember the time before Harry Potter had finally stopped He Who Must Not Be Named. She remembered being snatched, being accused of stealing another witch's magic, being sent to Azkaban by the corrupted Ministry. Penelope was one of the very lucky ones. She was still alive.

She thanked Merlin every day for Harry Potter saving the world; saving her. When she first caught sight of little Harry Potter, she couldn't quite understand how someone so small could be the savior of an entire world. While Penelope didn't know Harry Potter personally, she knew other Weasleys besides Percy who more than once vouched for his awesomeness. (Gred and Forge's words; not hers.)

The brief years she spent with him at school, she'd heard rumors of his little escapades that saved the school twice and gave him a special award. After graduating, Penelope put Harry Potter out of her mind. She had to get a respectable job, and continuously thinking about the enigma that was the boy savior wouldn't get her anywhere.

And still, despite graduating, she continued to hear about the wonderful, powerful Harry Potter whether it was from Molly Weasley, who she occasionally talked to, or the _Daily Prophet_ with horrid, gossiping stories that seemed to be mostly fiction. When the news of You Know Who's supposed return had hit her, Penelope was ashamed to admit that her opinions regarding the situation leaned more towards that of the Daily Prophet's. After all, how could You Know Who return after about thirteen years of blissful silence? No, Harry Potter had to be off his rocker, and poor Molly Weasley was so blinded by her adoration for the boy that she took his word at face value.

But as the years went by, the war escalated. You Know Who was back and the year spent in denial allowed him to gather enough strength that he was able to overtake the Ministry and Hogwarts. Penelope had been so frightened that she finally purchased a plane ticket. Aunt Lucy had convinced her to move to America. It would be different and perhaps she'd have a rough time adjusting, but it was a matter of life and death and the decision wasn't that hard to make.

And that very same night when she packed all of her belongings, including the urn containing her father's ashes, her house was raided by death eaters. Despite being a Half-Blood, Penelope was taken into custody. Her father's name wasn't well known and, with him dead from a raid the month previous, that stupid toad Umbridge had claimed there was no evidence of her blood status and sentenced her to Azkaban.

Of course, there were plenty of ways to prove that she was a Half-Blood, but the trial proceedings weren't exactly geared towards anything but condemning innocent people for something they couldn't control. It didn't matter that her father was a Pureblood from a lesser family. She was still tainted, still had mud in her blood, and still wasn't a supporter of the fascist that wanted to rule the world.

Penelope never stood a chance, really.

Azkaban had been horrible. She was always cold, always hungry, always so very empty. Nights and days bled together in a twisted mockery of a life. There was never any silence; only the yells of horrified people begging for Harry Potter to finally save them, begging for a miracle. Penelope couldn't exactly remember if she'd been one of the people crying for a savior or cursing the lack of one.

At one point, Penelope had been so furious that she joined in the screaming, letting her rage ring along the over-crowded cells until her throat was raw and scratchy. "Harry Potter's not coming," she had whispered hopelessly. "We're better off dead."

And even if he did come, how was a seventeen-year-old boy supposed to take on the most powerful wizard in the world?

Day after day, the despair-infested prison had escalated in its loss of faith until, finally, the lone door at the end of the hallway had opened and several prominent witches and wizards had rushed into Azkaban, unlocking the cells and letting people free. Never before had she been so happy to eat her words.

Penelope hadn't believed it at first; nobody really had. Death Eaters used to do that. They would walk dramatically into the prison, glamored as regular-looking witches and wizards pretending that Harry Potter won the war and they had all been set free. The poor, gullible, and desperate witches and wizards had been severely beaten, spit on, and eventually killed.

"The Dark Lord will crush Potter," an unknown Death Eater had sneered, "and you vermin will rot in here like the magic-sucking pigs you are."

There's only so much the human soul and body can go through before all hope is lost.

"It's nice to meet you all," Penelope said, snapping out of her morbid reverie and smiling.

Harry Clearwater stood and engulfed both women in a hug. "Aunt Lucy, cousin," he greeted. "I was just trying to explain to them about magic."

Paul growled. "Embry's not getting any better by us talking about something that doesn't exist!" he snapped.

Penelope shared a look with Aunt Lucy. She looked back at Paul, who stared challenging at her. "And how exactly can you phase into a wolf if there isn't any magic involved?" she asked curiously.

Paul stiffened slightly. "Not that it's any of your business," he sneered, "but we phase because of Q'wati; not some hocus pocus bullshit."

Penelope's smile stretched wider, not at all offended. She'd suffered worse attitudes in prison. Sparing a glance at Aunt Lucy, she flicked her hand and her wand quickly flew into it. The wolves, startled, immediately growled, their hackles raised. "It's just my wand," she said, showing them the smooth wood. "I'm a witch."

Sam blinked. "You're a witch?" he asked in disbelief. "Like, you can make potions in cauldrons and fly on broomsticks?"

Penelope nodded. "It was a gift passed down to me by my parents. My mother was a witch born into a non-magic family, making her a Muggleborn. Muggles are what we call non-magic folk. My father, on the other hand, came from an all-magic family, making him a Pureblood. I'm a Half-Blood as a result."

Jared scratched his head, obviously confused. "No offense, but what does this have to do with helping Embry?" he asked. "I don't want to be rude, but he's getting worse."

It was true; Embry's temperature remained unchanged, but he shivered as if he were cold and he began to sweat.

Penelope grimaced and nodded again. "I'll explain everything better later, but right now I'll perform some diagnostic charms on him," she said firmly, easily slipping into lecture mode. "I'm not sure how this imprinting business goes, but if you can't remember anything, that suggests you've all been Obliviated. There _is_ a way to reverse it, however that also means that there is a witch or wizard in the area."

Old Quil nodded his head calmly. "Do whatever you must to give them back their memories, please. The sooner we find out who did this and why, the sooner Embry can find his imprint."

Penelope performed a few subtle movements with her wand, muttering the spell lowly. She hummed in acknowledgement when her spell confirmed that they'd all been Obliviated. As she set to work, her brows furrowed in confusion. Why would anyone want to obliviate a group of boys? Sure, the boys were larger than average, but that didn't quite seem right.

Carefully reversing the spell, Penelope gasped in shock and her eyes widened. She watched as Embry stumbled across two wolves, one turning out to be very small and colorful. His memories went black, signifying that Embry had passed out. If she had to guess, Penelope would bet that the shock of imprinting on a male wolf was too much for him. When he finally came to, Penelope felt weak in the knees as she realized that the male wolf was, in fact, Harry Potter.

Embry gasped as his imprint's handsome face reappeared in his head. His heart swelled slightly and he smiled weakly. He was sure his imprint's name was Harry. Embry made to get off the sofa, but Sam easily pushed him back down.

"Don't get up just yet," Sam warned, staring at his packmate with concern.

"I need to find him," Embry insisted, trying once more to get up.

Jared blinked. "_Him_? Your imprint's a dude?" He gaped slightly. "I didn't think that was possible…"

"Penelope, are you alright?" Aunt Lucy asked, rushing over to her niece where she'd collapsed onto her knees. "I didn't think you'd be weakened so considerably."

Penelope shook her head. "I'm fine," she said softly. "Just in shock, I suppose."

"Why? What did you see?" Paul asked gruffly. He felt mildly uncomfortable with the thought of Embry's imprint being a male.

Penelope shook her head and moved to reverse the spell on the other three packmates. She accepted the bottle of water Billy retrieved for her and drank. The cool liquid trickled down her throat and Penelope felt slightly calmer. Regaining her composure, Penelope noticed she was the center of attention.

"I…I know who Embry's imprint is," Penelope said softly. "I used to go to school with him."

Embry leaned towards her eagerly. "His name is Harry, right?"

Penelope nodded her head. "Harry Potter. How much do you currently know about the Wizarding world?" she asked suddenly.

Harry Clearwater coughed slightly. "I told them what I knew, which isn't really much," he admitted.

"We understand there was a war over blood status," Sam clarified.

Penelope hummed thoughtfully. "The Wizarding world has always deemed blood status important," she began. "Just as a lot of Muggles consider wealth important. The very old, Pureblood families detested anybody outside of their circles of power and influence. There was one particular wizard that took it to the next level. Few were ever able to speak his name. Most refer to the wizard as You-Know-Who and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Long story short, he attempted to eradicate everyone with "tainted" blood in the Wizarding world until he was stopped on October 31, 1981 by a baby."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Right. A baby. You're wasting our time."

Sam nudged him harshly, glaring. He turned towards Penelope again. "What does this have to do with Embry's imprint?" An odd feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.

Penelope sighed. "That baby is the only known survivor of the Killing Curse. He was referred to as the Boy Who Lived. Eventually, he grew up and had to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was already halfway through my schooling when he began. I didn't know him personally, but my ex-boyfriend's family was practically his family, so I heard a lot about him.

"His name was Harry Potter. He was deemed the Savior of the Wizarding world because of what had happened that night. It's not completely clear, but there were rumors that there was a prophecy regarding Harry Potter and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Penelope took a drink of water. "The Dark Lord returned to power in 1995. Nobody wanted to believe that. I mean, we'd had fourteen years of blissful peace. Who would want that ruined?"

Sam frowned slightly. "Go on," he urged.

"I was one of the people that didn't believe him," Penelope confessed, her head bowed slightly in shame. "But, he was right. The Dark Lord returned and the world went to shit. Albus Dumbledore, my former Headmaster and one of the most powerful wizards at the time, was killed. Hogwarts and the Ministry was taken over. Laws were passed regarding anybody whose blood wasn't pure. They were to be snatched, forced into a farce of a trial, and were either killed or sent to Azkaban prison."

They noticed her shudder of horror. "You said you were Half-Blood," Jared murmured. "You were sent to jail? For something as stupid as your blood?"

Penelope suppressed the wicked memories that threatened to resurface. "I was going to come here and avoid the war, but I was too late. They snatched me out of my home as I was about to leave and I was tossed in Azkaban. The thing about Azkaban prison is that it's worse than any other prison you will ever go to. It's guarded by dark creatures, Dementors, that suck the happy feelings out of you until all you know is depression and sadness. If you're unlucky enough to be Kissed, they suck out your soul."

Jared gaped. "No offense, but your world seems kind of twisted."

Penelope grimaced. "For a while, it was. It truly is an amazing place to live, but history has its ugly moments. It would have continued to be such an awful place if it weren't for Harry Potter. I was in Azkaban, so I don't know everything that happened and most people are rather tight-lipped about it. All I know is that Harry Potter won the war. He battled the Dark Lord and won. That's not a feat other wizards can accomplish, and he was only seventeen at the time."

She paused to take another sip of water. "The reason why I'm telling you this is because after the war, Harry Potter randomly up and left Britain. He'd vanished without a trace, sending the world into an uproar. The Daily Prophet, our newspaper, would write several nasty, horrid articles about him and speculate his whereabouts. They only stopped when he wrote an equally harsh and nasty letter telling everyone to butt out and leave him alone. Nobody's seen him in eight years, though he's still helped the government change for the better."

Paul stared at her hard. "What does this have to do with Embry?" he asked, although he had a feeling he already knew why she had told them all of this information.

"Harry Potter is Embry's imprint," Penelope said. Nobody in the room was surprised to hear it. "I guess he's been living in America all these years."

Embry attempted to get up again. "I need to see him," he told Sam, who held him down. "Please, I need to explain why I acted that way around him."

Sam shook his head. "You're still weak, and I'm not sure we can trust him. He messed with all of our memories."

"He wouldn't have known the kind of effect erasing your memories would have had," Penelope argued. "I might not know him personally, but I do know that Harry Potter is not the kind of person to hurt other people. He's brave, loyal, smart, and selflessly kind."

"Sounds like you want him," Embry snarled, glaring at her fiercely.

"Or blindly worship him," Jared commented breezily.

Penelope stood and glared at the pack. "Harry Potter saved my life!" she hissed angrily. "With all the shit that's been done to him, he could have walked out on the world and not bothered to face the Dark Lord! Instead, he chose to face one of the most evil creatures to have ever existed and he came out on top. Without him, I would still be _rotting_ in that prison. Do I worship him? Hell no. But I damn well respect him and everything he's done. And as for wanting him, I'm very much involved with someone and quite happy about it, thank you very much!"

Sam held his hand up to stop any further arguments from his pack, forcing them to calm down through the mind link. "This is a bit of a shock," he said, trying to calm down the enraged witch. Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned, after all. "It's a lot to take in, and with the imprint bond being strained and then having that negative influence being reversed, Embry isn't quite himself."

Penelope took a sip of water and breathed deeply. When she felt her anger drain away, she asked, "I know imprinting means you find your soul mate, but what exactly does that entail? I mean, in the Wizarding world, soul mates are more myth than fiction. There've been a few cases of it happening, but people can live happily without their other halves."

Old Quil smiled kindly at the witch. "It is very different for those with the shape shifter gene," he began. "The bond between imprint and imprintee are very strong. It is involuntary and instantaneous. All other connections are essentially severed, and only the imprintee matters. The bond cannot be severed or messed with in any way, or the results, as you've seen, are not pretty. It's also unheard of for the imprintee to refuse their other half. Because of this, we're not entirely sure what will happen should this unlikely situation to come into play."

"But obviously, this Harry Potter isn't like other humans and didn't feel any particular strain after he messed with the bond," Paul pointed out angrily. "We more-than-likely will find out what happens when a wolf is refused." He looked like he wanted to hit something.

"No, you won't," Penelope said sharply. "I'm sure if you explain the situation to him, everything will work out. Like I said before, he's an honorable person. And no, that's not hero worship talk or anything of the sort. My ex-boyfriend's mother is like Harry Potter's adopted mother. She talks about him all the time when we have lunch."

There was a brief moment of silence before Billy cleared his throat. "Embry needs his imprint," he said, "even if that bond doesn't go beyond simple companionship." He looked at Sam. "Perhaps we could go and explain things to him."

Sam still looked hesitant, but nodded. He understood the importance of the imprint bond and, even more, saw exactly how bad Embry had become without Potter. His heart ached at the thought of someone keeping Emily away from him. Though still extremely wary, Sam agreed. At least with Billy tagging along, he would feel more assured concerning Embry and his imprint.

"Alright," he said. "Let's find Potter."

A/N: Slightly shorter than the last chapter, but this is to make up for the absence. I hope you like it. And, somewhat off topic, I swear Stephanie Meyer borrowed HP character's names (Black, Clearwater, Harry). It makes it tons easier to merge the worlds, lol. Please review and let me know. Sadly, my hard drive failed and the two new stories I was writing have been lost. :( So don't expect another update for a week or two as I will be mourning the loss of my two plot bunnies and trying to rework everything I've lost. Thanks for the support!


	6. Chapter 5 – Sue Clearwater

Chapter 5 – Sue Clearwater

"_Again and again, the impossible decision is solved when we see that the problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made.__"_

/Embry/\Harry\

Harry had to avert his eyes to keep from caving in. His heart shattered into a million tiny pieces as he heard Teddy's quiet sniffling. Merlin knew he didn't want to hurt Teddy, but sometimes a little heartache was unavoidable. Without saying a word, he pulled his silently crying godson into his lap. Before long, Teddy's small body shook and tiny gasping sobs escaped his mouth. Harry wanted to tell Teddy to forget everything he'd just said, but he couldn't and wouldn't do that.

"I don't want to miss school or stay inside all week!" Teddy cried. "Please don't make me, Uncle Harry!"

Harry sighed and brushed away a few loose tears. "Teddy, you know I want nothing more than for you to be happy. However, your safety _must _come first. We don't know if phasing into your wolf form is emotion-based or if you'll have trouble tapping into that power again. Staying home from school this week will hopefully give us some answers. Unfortunately, we live in a Muggle area and any kind of slip-up can have severe consequences."

Teddy seemed to withdraw into himself. "I don't want to stay inside. It'll be just like before I went to school. I'll never get to go outside or play with friends or do anything!"

Harry remembered being Teddy's age and locked inside his cupboard again. Dudley had gleefully teased him through the air vent about how much fun he was going to have at the park with his best friend, Piers Polkiss. He remembered crying bitterly, tired of constantly being locked inside until the Dursleys saw fit to let him out. He remembered being so relieved to be allowed to go outside, even if it was only to do so many strenuous chores until he nearly collapsed. Anything to just feel the breeze across his face, or smell the grass after it rained, or to know that his world wouldn't always be made up of cramped spaces, spiders, and the ever-consuming darkness.

Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. It was completely different situations. If Teddy didn't control this new ability and had an accident in front of Muggles, things could get really ugly really quickly. A shiver ran down his back at the thought of Muggles starting the next witch hunt.

"I'm sorry, Teddy," he said softly.

Teddy sniffled, his head bowed low and his shoulders sunk. Harry hugged his godson, hurt when Teddy made no move to reciprocate it. He was about to pull back when Teddy sighed and slowly wrapped his arms around Harry.

"When do we start training?"

Harry didn't like the dull tone Teddy used. "Tomorrow. We'll see if it's something that needs to be controlled right away. If it's dormant to a certain degree, you can go back to school earlier."

Teddy brightened. "Really?" he asked hesitantly.

Harry poked him on the forehead. "Have I ever lied to you?" he asked softly. "I don't want you hurt, Teddy. It sucks that you had to train so hard to keep your Metamorphmagus abilities in check, and now with this animagus thing, but you were born with gifts. These were traits inherited from your parents, and you need to be able to control them—especially in something as ignorant as this Muggle environment. How do you think they'd feel if something happened to you because your power slipped? How do you think _I'd_ feel?"

Teddy seemed to think over Harry's words before nodding his head in agreement. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just really like going outside and playing. I don't want to go back to the old way."

Harry nodded his head in understanding and ran his fingers through Teddy's hair. "There's a few kinks that need to be worked out, but I'm sure we can compromise in the future should any issues come up. Okay?"

Teddy's nose wrinkled. "What's compromise?"

Harry laughed. "Compromise basically means to come to an agreement. We'll meet each other half-way when we need to make decisions. I'll respect the freedom that you want to have since you are a big boy and deserve to go outside and have fun when you do so well. However, you have to respect that it's my job to keep you safe, and I will not fail at that. Agree?"

Teddy grinned broadly. "Agree!" he exclaimed, holding out his pinky.

Harry smiled and linked their pinkies together. "Now, it's getting fairly late and you'll need your strength for when we start to test your animagus abilities tomorrow. Get some rest."

Teddy pouted but nodded his head. "How will I do my homework?"

"I'll call the school and ask for your assignments so you don't fall behind. _Rest_; I'll take care of it."

Trying, and failing, to hide his exhausted yawn, Teddy crawled under the covers of his bed and was asleep within minutes. Harry watched as Teddy's chest moved with ever inhale and exhale. He knew Teddy's tantrum had little to do with missing school and more to do with being so confined again.

A heavy sigh escaped him. He completely understood how Teddy felt. How could he not when he grew up with the _Dursleys_ of all people? His own world had been so small before he knew of his celebrity status. The Dursleys, however, hadn't severely limited his freedom to keep him safe. They'd done it for their own gain; to keep his spirit crushed in hopes that when the time came he would reject the Wizarding world, and to keep their personal house elf in line. After he found out that he was so much more than an unwanted stain on his relatives list of responsibilities, he'd felt so free. It was better than the time he slipped a few bugs in Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's bed, better than flying on a broom for the first time, better than riding Buckbeak, and even better than making his first friend. The burden of living with his disgusting relatives had been lifted and made him experience pure euphoria.

To be continuously thrust back into an environment that never gave a damn about him, or even want him for that matter, had been infuriating. Soon every year ended the same way. He'd spend the year living in bliss—despite the numerous attempts on his life—only to be brought down to reality and, Merlin, he absolutely loathed Dumbledore for doing that to him.

The person that cared for him subjected him to unwanted solitude in the name of safety. Yeah, he knew exactly how Teddy felt.

Harry sighed again before standing up. He kissed Teddy's forehead gently before shutting off the light and leaving. The house wasn't too much of a wreck, thank goodness, so Harry was able to clean quickly and relax on the couch. His mind wandered to the wolves he'd encountered in the forest.

Harry frowned. He'd never seen the wolves there before, and he'd been running through that forest for about eight years. Granted, he never consecutively ran through the foliage, but still. He'd been in the forest enough to know if some mutated wolves had gotten loose. And then, if that weren't bad enough, one of the wolves had turned human. _Human_! If one could turn human, the odds of all of them also having the ability to turn human ran rather high. It worried him. The man hadn't known what he was talking about; hadn't known a thing about magic. If Muggles had been experimented on and gained the ability to turn into wolves, then they could put him and Teddy at danger. They could unknowingly expose magic and endanger the two wizards just by being close.

Harry rubbed his temples in an attempt to get rid of his headache. He'd done what was necessary to keep his young charge safe, but when he thought about Obliviating the wolf-turned-hot-man, he felt somewhat guilty. It was bizarre, really. He'd Obliviated people before to keep his godson safe, and though he always felt a little regretful that it all had come down to that, he had never truly felt guilty for it. He'd erased the memories of Teddy accidentally changing his hair color in front of Muggles without a second thought. Harry would do anything to keep Teddy from harm's way, and surviving the worst war Magical Europe ever had only hardened his resolve.

Then he remembered the man's—_Embry's_—warm brown eyes and something tugged at his soul. The guilt increased, and Harry shook his head firmly. He did what he had to. He didn't know if those werewolf wannabes were like Fenrir Greyback, craving the bloody flesh of small children. The image of Teddy, face pale and lips blue, at the mercy of bloodthirsty werewolves popped in his head unbidden. A shiver ran down his spine at that thought, and his resolve hardened even further.

Teddy would never become some supernatural freak's snack—not if Harry could help it.

He paused in his thoughts ever-so-slightly. Despite his head running through the various horrible situations he could find Teddy in because of the wolf rejects, Harry's gut told him that he was all wrong; that Embry wasn't anything like Fenrir Greyback. It confused him greatly since his intuition had never been wrong, yet he clearly remembered three hostile wolves growling at him fiercely.

Granted, that could be because he was an unknown wolf in the area and they were obviously a close-knit pact. Regardless, Harry was almost completely certain that he had been there first. If that was the case, then the wolves should have smelt that they were in another's territory.

Before he could further ponder on the oddity that the wolves had presented, his doorbell rang. Harry immediately stiffened and cursed himself for not paying attention. He was only slightly assured that the wards had not screeched its warnings nor did it stun whoever was at the door. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. Harry gripped his wand holster tightly and palmed the jeweled dagger at his waist (a 21st birthday gift from Charlie Weasley).

He walked to the door and glanced in the peephole. He sighed in relief when he noticed it was only Sue Clearwater, an older woman he'd made acquaintances with a few years ago. In all honesty, she was probably the only person in the area that he could call friend. They'd met accidentally in the store when she had all but rammed her cart into his. After a few apologies and running into each other a few times, they'd randomly decided to have a bi-monthly brunch.

He learned that she was married (and her husband just so happened to have the same first name; such a small world, he'd thought) with two children, and she always smelled like a wolf. He wasn't too surprised at that, considering Quileute legend stated that Q'wati was a wolf before transforming into a human. It was rather fascinating to him, actually, and Sue had been more than happy to share her culture and beliefs with the foreigner.

She learned that he was an orphan, from Britain, and trying to provide his godson with a better life than he had (or at least, that was the vibe she'd gotten from him). Despite the age difference, Harry had been really easy to talk to and offered her an interesting perspective to the random in-depth conversations they'd have. He was also surprisingly wise and seemed so much older than he looked.

Harry smiled as he opened the door. "Sue," he greeted. "This is a surprise."

Sue Clearwater smiled apologetically in return. "Hello Harry. I'm sorry to barge in on you like this, but I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

Harry frowned slightly in concern. "Is everything alright?" he asked with obvious worry.

Sue hesitated slightly. "I understand that you met a…wolf pack in the forest earlier," she said slowly, brown eyes gauging his reaction.

Sheer will alone prevented Harry from stiffening. Instead, he narrowed his eyes at her and inspected her face. She presented no negative feelings, only curiosity and…hope? Harry briefly contemplated his next course of action. Well, she was still within the wards so she obviously meant him no harm. "And how would you know about that?" he asked coolly.

Sue's shoulders seemed to sag ever-so-slightly with relief. "So it _was_ you," she said with a small smile. "I wasn't exactly sure, but I'm happy they got the right person."

"They?" Harry questioned, feeling more confused than alarmed; a fact that seemed to be an oddity, considering how sharp his war-honed skills were.

"I suppose I haven't been completely honest with you," Sue began. "Um, could I perhaps come in? I'd like to explain everything to you. It's rather important."

Harry thought about it. On the one hand, he didn't want anything to do with something that could potentially jeopardize Teddy's safety. On the other hand, his gut was telling him to take a chance and find out everything he could about the potential threat before passing any judgment. And, well, if he doubted the truth about anything, it wouldn't be his intuition. Nibbling his lower lip, Harry nodded his head slowly. It would be better to find out as much as he could about the strange wolves before deciding on anything.

Sue's face brightened with a warm smile. "Thank you," she said sincerely as Harry stepped aside to let her in.

Harry surveyed the area around his home before closing the door and leading the older woman into his living room. Manners had him asking Sue to wait for him for a moment while he went into the kitchen to prepare tea and biscuits. A familiar scenario came to mind; he'd done the same thing when Andromeda came to deliver the guardianship papers to him. That night was forever burned in his mind.

It was quiet as he brought the tea and biscuits to the coffee table in his living room. The silence almost became awkward, but Harry smiled at Sue, hid his nervous feelings, and played the proper host. "Now, how do you know about the wolves I met?" he asked, blunt and straight to the point like the Gryffindor he was.

Sue seemed to think something over before nodding her head. "You remember the tales I told you? Of how Q'wati transformed from a wolf to a human and was the first of the Quileute tribe?"

Harry hummed in affirmation. "From your response, am I right in assuming that the legends are, in fact, real?"

Sue smiled kindly at him. "Yes. We call it the shape shifter gene, and it doesn't occur in every Quileute. Certain circumstances have to be met before they shift."

Harry thought it over. "What circumstances are those?"

A grimace appeared over Sue's warm features. "Quileutes shift in response to vampires in the area," she admitted. "It's to protect the surrounding humans."

The only evidence of Harry's reaction to the news was his grip tightening on the handle of his teacup. "There are vampires. Here. In Forks." His tone was flat, almost disbelieving and yet showed how much of a war-hardened warrior he was.

Sue's grimace turned into an outright flinch. "Yes," she said softly. "You're taking this rather well, though I guess you would be aware of vampires considering your own ability to shift."

"I'm a Wizard," Harry admitted, slightly surprised when Sue just nodded calmly.

"There was a witch in the family," she elaborated. "Though I'll admit I wasn't exactly privy to that information until," she paused and glanced at the clock, "an hour ago."

Harry hummed. "So the wolves are relatives of yours?"

"My nephew is the alpha to the wolf pack you came across," Sue explained. "The pack is small right now, but we're afraid it'll grow. There have been attacks within a hundred mile radius—vampire attacks."

Harry sighed and set his tea down, bringing his hand up to rub his temples. Eight years of bliss in a relatively unknown American town would soon come to an end; he should've known it was too good to be true. He briefly wondered whether or not he should just take Teddy and run to another town or country, but he knew he wouldn't. Not only would it mean uprooting Teddy from an area he'd known his whole life, his gut instincts were telling him to stay put. Last time Harry checked, vampires equaled becoming a happy meal, and he wasn't too keen on becoming fine cuisine.

Maybe he should have his intuition looked at. After eight years of no activity, it could be a little rusty.

Harry sat straight, startling Sue for a moment. "Is there anything else I should know?" he asked. He ran through various wards in his mind, trying to decide which extra protections to weave through the area surrounding his house.

Sue hesitated. "There is," she said slowly, "and I would need to bring the pack into your house to explain it further."

"No," Harry said immediately, shaking his head. "Teddy's here, and he's going through some…changes. Not here."

"My house in La Push then," she conceded, staring into his eyes and willing him to understand the importance of him meeting the pack.

He couldn't, of course, because it wasn't her place to tell him the role he would have in Embry's life; whether or not that role was wanted didn't matter. The fact remained that, ultimately, Harry would have Embry's life on his shoulders. Whatever he wanted, Embry would make sure it happened. The bond would allow no less. That would normally worry her. When her husband had approached her with news of Embry's imprinting over a stranger, she almost had a heart attack. The thought of a stranger having so much control over the life of someone she knew was terrifying.

But then she found out Embry's imprintee was Harry Potter, the kind, sweet, and responsible young man she normally met twice a month for talks. Her worries were instantly soothed and she knew if, in time, Harry wasn't interested in Embry romantically, he would at least be a friend. It was a lot better Embry imprinting on someone who would outright reject the young shifter without a second thought over the consequences. She shuddered to think what might happen if that were the case. Every time she thought of a shifter imprinting on someone in the history of her tribe, there had been happy endings—eventually.

After finding out that Sue personally knew Embry's imprintee, it hadn't been hard to convince the tribe to allow her to talk to Harry. She had the greatest chance of Harry actually listening to her and convincing him that it would be in his best interests to listen to Embry afterwards.

"I don't know," Harry said hesitantly. "Teddy's quite tired, and he needs to rest. I can't leave him alone."

"My daughter can watch him," Sue replied instantly, feeling like she was grasping at straws. "She acts tough, but she has a soft spot for children."

Harry paused. He didn't really like the idea of leaving Teddy with someone he didn't know, but Sue wasn't the type of woman to endanger children. He would have refused outright, but he saw the urgent look on her face along with a tinge of desperation in her eyes. "How long will this take?"

"An hour and a half, maybe two." Sue stared at him hopefully.

Harry hesitated once more before he sighed, resigned, and nodded his head. "Let's make this quick, okay? I don't feel completely comfortable with leaving him with someone else when he was feeling a little sick earlier."

Sue beamed. "Thank you," she said happily, standing up and drawing him into a hug. "You have no idea how much this means to the pack." Well, he soon would. Sue pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind and stood. "May I use your phone to let my daughter know?"

Harry nodded his head and waited with Sue for her daughter to arrive. He stared hard at Leah, searching for just the tiniest bit of malice and wandlessly scanning her for ill intent, regardless of the fact that the wards wouldn't have allowed her on the property otherwise. It wasn't until he showed her Teddy's room where the boy was sleeping and her eyes softened ever-so-slightly that he decided to actually let Leah sit in the house and wait until Harry returned.

He quickly penned a note for Teddy and left, offering the slumbering child a soft kiss on the temple.

The ride to Sue's house was kind of awkward, but that could have just been his nerves. He took several discreet deep breaths (or at least he hoped they were; if Sue noticed anything off, she never said a word) and followed her into her house.

As soon as he stepped through the door, he was attacked.

A/N: I deeply apologize for the wait. This month has been crazy as hell. Remember how my hard drive crashed? As soon as I got a new one and my dad re-installed Windows 7, my baby sister decided I was too happy and promptly spilled an entire bottle of water on it when I left the room. Luckily, my mom got to it and after waiting for it to dry a few days, it worked fine. Sadly, though, I was unable to write, and will probably not be able to devote much attention to any story for a while. My sister's friend committed suicide a week ago, and she's not taking it well (understandably). Obviously, writing isn't my first priority anymore.

Anyways, I'm not going to unload on all of you. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint, and the next one is already in the works. I'm _hoping_ to have it out before two weeks, but I'm not going to stress over it. Criticism and feedback would be very much appreciated. =)


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